Gundam SEED: Bikes & Burgers, Pans and Brooms
by hikari luv shirayuki
Summary: "I'm tired..." she said. Even her father is tired. And Fllay, too. Everyone is tired. But the finish line is almost there... *CHAPTER 29 UPDATED* Rated M for violence & some profanities scattered somewhere.
1. First Encounter with The Punk Kind

Gundam SEED: Bikes & Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By: hikari luv shirayuki

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam SEED. I also do not own any motorcycles featured in my fiction (Honda Super Cub is owned by Honda Motor Co. Ltd.) and People's Elbow is owned by The Rock.  
**_

Summary: One night, a girl met a punk in a not-so-beautiful manner…KiraxFlay, AU, a lot of OOC

* * *

Author notes: I don't support any form of illegal racing. Its depiction here is purely for creative purposes. Don't ever try it. Life is too precious to lose and messing around with the authority is not the best thing to do. OK, I'm done with the public service thing; I hope you enjoy my first fic here. Please bear with me because I'm a newbie. This fic is dedicated to all KiraxFllay fans out there. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1: First Encounter with The Punk Kind 

"_Hey, old geezer!__ How's the situation?_" said a voice from the walkie-talkie.

"Cut that out, Dearka. I'm not in the mood right now. OK, let's back to business. This is important. It seems that there is a lot of police activity in Highway No. 8. Ask Tolle to change the plan for tonight." the blonde man in his early 30s answered, while scanning his surroundings.

"_Chill, Mwu-san. It's not that bad. Cops here is SOOO dumb, all they can do are eatin' doughnuts and become fat. To begin with, we always outrun them. Tonight is going to be fun, as always." _ That guy tried to reassure the blonde man, named Mwu La Fllaga.

"No, I got the feeling that the police are much more vigilant tonight. I don't want to take any risk." Mwu replied with a stern voice. He felt that his intuition was right.

"_Ok, ok. I get your point. Make sure he does not lose tonight. I don't want to lose the profit, either." _The voice answered back with a hint of concern in it.

"Did he ever fail you, Dearka? Relax, tonight Kira should reign supreme!" Mwu chuckled.

"_That's reassuring to me. If he loses, well…you know. Heh, death by strangulation...I really need a victory from him."  
_

"Hai, hai. My boy won't lose, this I promise you…la…la…la. Sorry, suddenly a certain boy band crosses my mind. (Grin) Contact me again if Tolle has decided the place. A girl is coming. Going to be busy."

"_Ok. Ciao, say hello to your customer." _Dearka joked.

"Go to hell, Banana-haired pervert." Mwu answered coldly at the younger man's request.

"_Get off from that walkie-talkie, dumb blonde gorilla." _Dearka retorted. Immediately after that, Dearka hangs off.

Unable to shoot Dearka back, he sighed. _Kids these days…_Mwu put off the walkie-talkie aside and looked at his customer, who gave him a quick smile. The girl wore a green windbreaker, light pink turtleneck and a full-length denim skirt. "What's your order, miss?" Mwu smiled his broadest smile ever.

The girl looked up to the menu pasted on Mwu's road side burger stall and began to scan it. It only took seconds for the young girl to decide what she wants.

"I want three ordinary hot dogs and one chicken burger, special. Please don't put any relish or pepper in the hot dogs. Just put only the sausages. Don't forget the ketchup." She ordered coldly. _Hmm, need to lighten up the mood_, Mwu thought. _Any ice queens won't stand a chance against this ol' Mwu La Fllaga. I'll make the impossible possible!_

"Are you going to eat all of these, miss? That's a lot. These fatty junk foods are not good for a beautiful young girl like you." He teased her playfully.

Mwu's remark hit the bulls eye. She instantly turns red.

"EH? No…no. Those hot dogs are for my employer's daughters and my friend. Only the burger is for me." She immediately replied to deny that she is being a glutton.

"Relax, miss. No hard feelings, OK? Three hot dogs, stripped bare, and one special chicken burger, coming up!" Mwu said enthusiastically, together with exaggerated theatrical gestures and a wink, just to entertain his new customer for tonight. _Heh, heh, that's lame. I should kill myself for doing this. _Mwu thought.

The young girl giggles happily, who is amused by Mwu's antics. _See, it works all the times_. Then, he started to work.

First, he scoops a generous amount of margarine and drops it on the grill. It melts with a sizzle and promptly the blond man takes out a packet of burger patties and sausages. He took out one patty and three sausages and in no time, those three are being grilled over the fire. Not forgetting that the girl wants a special chicken burger, he breaks an egg and spread it evenly on the grill. Next, he moves on to the buns. He butters them and then, putting their buttered side on the grill.

While he works, he stole a glance at his customer. There he realized that the girl stared at him with apparent interest.

"What's bothering you, Miss? Interested in me?" Mwu teased her again.

She shook her head vigorously. _What a strange girl_, he commented, in his head.

"I never seen people prepares burgers with such speed before. That's amazing!" she said to Mwu with a hint of admiration.

"Ceh, this old man is disappointed." Mwu held an exaggerated sad look.

"Why?" she asked with a confused look.

Seeing this, Mwu laughed heartily. "Miss, I thought that you were staring at my 'handsome' face. Instead, you were looking at my way of preparing your orders!" He laughed on and on.

She began to break into a grin when she realised her foolishness. Then, she went quiet once more. Noticing her silence, Mwu asked her again to liven up the mood.

"Never been to a burger stall before, Miss?"

She shook her head again.

"I see. Young girls like you always going to the fast food restaurant to have their burgers, right? That's a pity. Burgers sold in the street are far better and cheaper than theirs, I mean the McB's."

She smiled at his comments with a nod of approval.

"Oh, by the way, I never saw you before around here. Are you new here, Miss?" Mwu asked her.

"My Master just moves here a week ago. I worked there as a maid."

"I see. Wait a minute, that's strange. You said earlier that these hot dogs for your master's children. I thought rich kids only like McB's or stuffs like that. Those kids, you know? Always being spoiled."

"What do you mean by that, mister?" She folded her arms defensively. Her big silver eyes were reduced to slits, confronting the blue eyes of his.

_Crap. What have I done? Think of something, Mwu! Think!_

"Sorry, there miss, if I offended you." Mwu apologized but managed to put up a big smile. "I didn't mean to insult your Master's kids. I just wondered why they like the burgers that were sold on streets."

The young girl smirked. At the same time, she raised her right eyebrow and her eyes, still in 'slits mode' look straight towards Mwu's eyes. _Gulp._ He swallowed his throat.

"Before we moved here, the kids already liked this so-called 'street burgers'. Hey, mister smart pants, even rich kids are fond with the so-called 'lower-class foods'." She beamed with pride. "One thing, you sure have guts to badmouth my employer's daughters."

_This girl is scary. _

Grinning sheepishly, Mwu continued his work. The young girl stopped staring at him and turned her attention to her handphone, messaging. Silence was in the air…

_You've done it, my man. Thank God, she didn't leave like that. Phew. Next time, watch your mouth, Mwu La Fllaga.  
_

After he finished preparing the three hot dogs, he went on to finish the young girl's burger.

Firstly, Mwu lightly bombarded the lower bun with ketchup. Then, he nicely wrapped all the condiments (grated carrots, grated onions, minced cabbage and stuffs) and the chicken patty inside the thin-layered fried egg. Mwu is satisfied with his work, which looks like a tiny packet. Next, Mwu finalized his work with another bombardment of ketchup and mayonnaise, placing the vegetables and finally, placing the top bun.

Equally as fast as when he was preparing the orders, Mwu put them inside a small, red plastic bag.

"Miss, here's your orders. 7 dollars please."

Faint motorcycle sound can be heard from afar and it's coming fast…

Just then, to Mwu's eyes, the world seems to move in slow motion. He can see that the girl stopped her messaging and took out her purse from her small, brown handbag and gave out 10 bucks. Her expression became cold again, Mwu noted. However, he can predict a not-so-pretty sight will unravel in front of him.

Mwu noticed a motorcycle that he was SOOOO familiar with, moving towards his burger stall and moving _directly _towards his customer…

Mwu was aghast…

KIIIIIRRRAAAAA!!!!!! SSSSTTTTOOOOPPPP!!!!!!

The young girl is startled by Mwu's sudden yell and immediately turned her head to see what's happening behind her. Instantly, her eyes bulged…a motorcycle is heading TOWARDS her!

Instinctively, she drops down and shielded her head with her arms. A loud tire screech, the girl high-pitched shriek and Mwu's deep-voiced yell came out, producing a unique but strange symphony. However, the rider didn't knock her down. He just pulled out a stoppie, right in front of her legs and nearly hit her by inches.

Quickly, Mwu rushed to the girl's side. He shook her several times and asking her whether she's all right. Meanwhile, Kira, clad in a stained plain white t-shirt and tattered denim pants, parked his Honda Super Cub and just glanced coldly at the shaken girl and Mwu.

"KIRA!!! What have you done, you good-for-nothing bastard! You've knocked out my only customer for tonight!" Mwu practically shouted at Kira.

Coming to her senses, the young girl, who was obviously scared to death, screamed at a _very _high pitch…again.

"Miss, Miss! It's OK now! It's OK!" Mwu tried to comfort her.

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT DEAD YET!" Kira boomed at the poor girl. She cowered in fear once more, her eyes brimming with tears. Seeing this, Kira felt superior. However, it was for a moment…

"YOU SCUM! YOU NEARLY END MY LIFE! I'M NOT MARRIED YET, YOU KNOW!" the girl blasted back. She got up, pushed Mwu aside and rushed towards Kira, like a mad bull. Like an EXTREMELY mad bull.

_Shit. _Kira regretted his high-and-mighty act earlier. _Nah, she's a chicken. Pathetic bitch. _Unfortunately for our Kira, he was WRONG.

Fast and furiously, she punched Kira a number of times. And then…"Take this, PEOPLE'S ELBOW!"

"OWW, OOF! ENOUGH BITCH! THIS TIME I'LL KILL YOU FOR REAL!" Kira grabbed the young girl's windbreaker by the collar but somehow, she slipped way…and reappeared behind Kira, bringing him down in one swift move that even Mwu just stood there and watched helplessly.

Our poor Kira was being arm-locked, by supposedly _pathetic bitch_…

"How you like this, eh? BRUNETTE BABY-FACED PUNK!" She smiled triumphantly.

"DAMN! DAMN! IT'S PAINFUL! IT'S DAMN PAINFUL! Cough, cough. Mwu-san…please…tag…touch my hand…I don't want to lose this…tag team match…"

Mwu sweatdropped when he watched the whole stupid scene. He has to stop both of them now or risk losing his only helper.

"Enough of this, kids. Miss, let him go. Kira, don't give me that puppy-eyed look! Now, apologize to her!" Mwu ordered Kira sternly.

Kira just stood there, glaring at the feminine silver eyes. The young girl also glared back at the Kira's amethyst eyes while Mwu, sweatdropped again, he swore that he could see electric sparks form in between both of their eyes…

"Kira, I've no choice…" Mwu stretched out his large hand and make Kira bowed to the girl. He also bowed as well, giving out a sincere apology to his female customer. "Please accept my utmost apologies, for my Kira's rude behaviour, Miss. He's such a rash, stupid, moronic, perverted, twisted…OUCH! KIRA, DON'T STEP ON MY FEET!"

"How dare you call your only helper all sorts of names? YOU UNGRATEFUL YELLOW GORILLA!" Kira shouted at his boss.

"Why you…!" So, both of them bickered and completely forgetting the young girl who stood near to them and watches the whole ugly fight scene. This time it's the young girl's turn to form sweatdrops on her head.

"Hihihihi..."

Immediately, the older man stops head-locking the brunette. The girl's giggles made him so...

"Both of you are SOOOO childish. I can't believe it." She commented.

Both guys were blushing heavily. Steam can be seen rising from their heads.

However, Mwu took this chance to hit Kira squarely at his stomach, causing the latter to drop down on his knees.

"Oh, my…" the girl gasped.

"Mwu, you bastard…" The chocolate-haired young lad cringed from the pain.

"Miss, sorry for the entire ruckus. Please, the orders are in the house. It's my treat as the compensation for my helper rude behaviour." Mwu trying to be sweet-mouthed while ignoring Kira's protests.

"No need for that, mister. I'll pay you for your foods," she replied, smiling broadly.

"But…" Our yellow-haired man protested.

"No buts, here's 10 bucks. I'll feel sorry if I'm not paying you. After all, I'm your first customer for tonight, right?" She smiled sweetly.

Mwu grinned. "All right, then. OI, STUPID BRUNETTE, GIVE THIS GIRL HER CHANGE!" He ordered Kira.

Kira got up and mumbles unpleasant words on his way to take the change.

"NO COMPLAINTS FROM YOU, BOY!"

"Hai, hai" Kira waved his hand.

Lazilly, Kira opened a drawer to take out changes for the money. Then, he walked towards the young girl and still wore a pout on his face.

"Here's the change. That's 3 dollars. Thanks for _your_ patronage." Kira thanked her, forced a smile and bowed lightly and hastily.

The young girl also bowed and smiled back, clearly forgiving the earlier incident with him. Suddenly, she went nearer to Kira, her face was only inches from his face…

"What…what do you want this time? Wanna fight again?" Kira steeled himself although his face was flushed.

"You have beautiful eyes. Like a gem, or should I say…an amethyst." She noted.

Kira turned beet-red at her comments. "I…I…" he stammered.

Seeing Kira's blush, the girl pecked his nose, flicked his forehead and lightly punch his abdomen, all in a flash.

"Ouch, why did you do that?" Kira asked her, turned his flustered face away.

"You're too cute for a punk," she commented. "You're SOOO naïve, too." She added with a smirk.

It's another knock out blow for Kira. His face flushed again. Her comments are too unbearable for our supposedly 'cool-and-tough' punk.

"Don't mind him, miss. He's still a boy even though he's 20 years old." Mwu patted Kira's head.

"I'M NOT A BOY!" Kira protested. Mwu just smiled. "This girl really knows how to 'cook' you well. I saw you went red, over and over again." Mwu added.

A grin formed on the girl's lips. Then, she glanced at her watch and instantly, she looked horrified.

"Oh, my, I'm late! Got to leave now!" She practically yelled. "Thanks for the foods! Bye, yellow gorilla! Bye, brunette punk!" she said hurriedly, leaving in haste.

"You're welcome! Do come again!" **_Seconds later..._** "WHAT DID YOU SAY!!!?" Kira and Mwu shouted back in unison. However, she was already too far away. Her figure becoming smaller and smaller…

"Eh, she forgot her windbreaker!" Kira noted.

Just then, Mwu's walkie-talkie came back to life again. Mwu hurriedly ran towards it.

"_Yo, old geezer!__ It's Dearka again. Please respond, burger guy…Mushi, mushi?_" Dearka's voice boomed through it, wanting Mwu's attention. Kira went to his Honda Cub, the girl's windbreaker in his hand.

"Yes, I'm here, jackass. No need to shout that loud. I'm not that deaf yet." Mwu responded, with irritated voice.

"_Tell Kira to be at the Wells Road by 1 a.m. That Seiran guy is here for the challenge tonight. We're going to burn rubber again. Oh, Hawke's sisters are here too. " _Dearka informed Mwu, from the other end of the line.

"Sure thing, Dearka,my boy. Kira will be jumping ups and downs when he hears about the Hawke's sisters. Mwu out." He glanced at his watch. 11 p.m. _Still too early_, Mwu thought.

"Hey, Kira!" Mwu shouted at the squatting brunette, who is scraping dirt from his Honda Cub's front wheel.

"Be at the Wells tonight, 1 a.m. It's gonna be another race for you, wonder boy! Oh, by the way, your Meyrin is there, too!" Mwu knew the name of the girl that he just mentioned had a powerful impact on his helper, judging from his dreamy looks.

Kira nodded and smiled. _Tonight, I'm gonna be busy. _Then, he continued his work on his Honda cub.

Simultaneously, back in Kira's head, he reflected…

_That young girl just now has a crimson hair...just like her...but, she acts very much different from her...  
_

* * *

Glossary: 

Hai – yes (Japanese)

Stoppie – motorcycle trick in which the back wheel is lifted and the bike is ridden on the front wheel. It is also sometimes called a **front wheelie.**

**People's Elbow **– The Rock's fav finishing move.

Head-lock & arm-lock – another wrestling move

Mushi,mushi – hello, hello (Japanese)

Honda Super Cub - Honda's 1st motorcycle model, produced by Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Very popular in Japan and South East Asia countries

* * *

A/N: Please read and review! That's my first piece of work here. Sorry for any errors and any guidance are appreciated. I know my fiction is quite lame. Criticisms are welcomed too. Thank you:D 


	2. Bloody Victory

Gundam SEED: Bikes & Burgers, Pans and Brooms

by hikari luv shirayuki

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam SEED.**__** Honda Super Cub, Wave and Civic are owned by Honda Motors Co. Ltd. (Sigh)**_

_**Public service message: The depiction and references of various criminal activities in this fiction are for creative purposes only. I DO NOT and WILL NOT support these kinds of destructive actions. If you don't have the time, don't do the crime. Some of the acts here are HIGHLY dangerous and MUST not be imitated in real life.  
**_

* * *

Author notes: Here you go; the second chapter. I also did a minor correction for Ch.1. Thanks to those who reviewed.

* * *

Chapter 2: Bloody Victory 

_**Wells Road…**__**12.55 a.m**_

There was loud music booming everywhere. The already noisy environment was augmented by the loud crowd of various social misfits and of course, hot babes…

At the same time, a dark-skinned young guy, with his blonde hair pulled back, met his rival, a certain fairer man with purple hair.

"Welcome to the Wells, Yuuna." Dearka greeted his adversary coldly.

"Not, bad, hmmm?" The purple-haired man commented. "You're good at picking nice spot. No police, no interferences."

_(Sigh) My favourite place was infested with cops.__ Of all times, those dumbasses chose tonight to get busy! _

"Don't praise me. You should give that to Tolle." Mr. Elsman answered nonchalantly.

"Oh, that guy. I bet he got a new ride now."

"…"

"I supposed not, then. Where's Kira?"

"He's not here yet."

"I think he had chickened out. Hiding somewhere, maybe? Ahhh, maybe right now that sissy is hiding behind Meyrin's plump ass." The green-eyed man joked while turned his back from Dearka and facing his men. Malicious laughter boomed from the bunch of hooligans, mocking the opposing side.

"You talked too much, Mr. Seiran. Weak dogs can only bark and not bite. I think it is you who is frightened." Dearka said sarcastically to Yuuna, who re-shift his attention back to the blonde. His eyes shone with fury.

"Who's going to ignore big profit, hmm? I'm willing to cross Heaven to get to Hell if heaps of money is there, Dearka!" Yuuna smirked. His men agreed in unison.

_I wish you die soon, sissy. _Dearka mentally cursed his nemesis. "By the way, Yuuna, why not we have a drink first while waiting for Kira to arrive? It's my treat." The tanned man tried to be a good host, not wanting to engage in any further war of words with his rival.

"Thanks, Blondie. How thoughtful of you. I hope you didn't do anything funny to my drinks." He sneered. Yuuna's eyes looked malicious.

"Distrust is bad for business, Mr. Seiran. I thought your father already taught you that."

"I don't give a damn about it. Tonight, your money will be mine and you will get out from your territory. No, _it's _mine, to begin with." Yuuna said gleefully.

_Patience, Dearka. Patience. _"Those two things will be yours IF Kira loses tonight's race. Take note of that, Yuuna. If you lose, your 'ka-ching' will be mine. Everything you got…" Dearka formed 'money-gestures' with his fingers.

"We'll see about that, loser." Then, Yuuna snorted to mock the tanned man.

"Oh, by the way, forget about the drinks. It's just a waste for my money if I treat you, scum."

Both of them and their groups parted away.

_**Flashback POV**_

_**One week earlier…**_

"_Dearka, my man… I'm not happy with your existence here, you know." Yuuna was seen fiddling with his fingers, while sitting on his Honda Wave. Surrounding him were his men, hooligans on motorcycles._

"_I'm just doing business __here; it's the same for everyone else. I don't quite understand the reason why you do always love to mess with my gang." The blonde man retorted. He also was surrounded by his men, albeit in much smaller size than Yuuna's. If a fight broke out, he and his gang may not survive…_

"_I think you haven't grasped the situation yet, Dearka. This whole area is mine! No sharing, no compromise!" The tall, thin man furiously rose up from his bike. _

"_Why not we settle our dispute here and now, eh Yuuna? It's between you and I, sissy!" Dearka snapped back._

_Yuuna smiled evilly. "I don't have the intention to dirty my hands, pimp."_

"_That's a surprise." Yuuna's nemesis smirked. "Filthy pusher like you did concern about cleanliness."_

"_Tsk, tsk, Dearka. You're just like a pot, calling a kettle black. Let's go straight to our business. I want this matter to be settled with a race; a sprint from point A to B. You decide the place. I'll personally take part in it, with my Wave here." He lovingly patted his Honda Wave._

_Tolle, who stood beside Dearka, whispered something to his ears, "D, I don't like the sound of it, man. That guy always cheats to win."_

"_Shhh…I know." Then, Dearka shift his attention to the older man._

"_Is there another shit you wanted to say?"_

"_Yes, there's a hell lot of 'em." His eyes glinted maliciously. "If I win, I want you and your people to pack your bags and be gone. I will take over your territory. One more thing, I want Kira to race. Not you, not others. Only him…"_

"_Why must only him?__ I know you are up to no good!" Tolle yelled._

"_Shut up your friggin' stinkin' hole, motherf-ker!"_

_Tolle could not take it anymore. He wanted to personally exterminate the purple-haired guy but was stopped by his boss._

"_Tolle! Chill, man!" He reprimanded the younger lad. Then, he stared at Yuuna's grinning face. "Why do you want only Kira to race? It's a fight between us!" Dearka demanded an explanation from Yuuna. _

"_Kira kinda pissed me off when I saw him. That arrogant boy…I simply just want to defeat him personally. Let see if he still got his cocky face when he become a loser."_

"_Oh, is that so? I want to make things more interesting, then. Since you wanted Kira as for the racer, I wanted the whole money you got if you lose." Menacing smile formed as Dearka presented his interesting offer._

"_WTF? How d…"_

"_Wait, Yuuna. I haven't finished yet. As you said earlier, if I lose, I will get out from your so-called territory. Now, I'm going to bet all of my money, everything that I got, ON Kira. How's that? You'll get MY money and MY territory IF he loses…"_

_**End of flashback...**_

"Kira, I'm really counting on you..." Dearka muttered under his breath. Then, he noticed two girls were approaching him. _It's the Hawke sisters._

Lunamaria, the oldest, wore a denim jacket and a black mini skirt. Her denim jacket was unbuttoned at the top, revealing her light pink tube top. Meanwhile, her energetic younger sibling wore a white, low-rise jean and a red, halter top.

"Dearka-san, Kira's late." The dark crimson-haired younger girl, named Meyrin, showing her displeasure while holding Dearka's right arm.

"He is always late, that bastard! Now, it's 1.20 am!" I think you should 'teach' him well, Meyrin my dear." The blonde was not in his best mood. The red hair just pouted her face.

"Oww, he's not that bad, D. Maybe Mwu-san asked him to do stupid tasks again." Lunamaria, Meyrin's older sister, joined in.

Just then, the sound of a certain Honda Super Cub attracted them. The crowds were starting to become crazy to see the famed racer himself.

"Speaking of the devil…" The fair-headed young man smirked. While Dearka showed his displeasure, Meyrin instantly beamed up when she saw her much-awaited man.

Kira removed his helmet and walked towards his 'manager', Dearka Elsman. He could see that the blonde guy was not happy with his tardiness. At the same time, Kira saw his woman rushed towards him. _Hey, Meyrin DID look like that violent girl earlier, _he noted.

"Kira dear! I missed you SOOO much! Why are you late?" Meyrin asked Kira, while hugging him and showering him with kisses. Lunamaria grinned at both of them, seeing such lovey-dovey couple. The scene somewhat made Dearka forgot his earlier displeasure towards the amethyst eyed youth.

He give her a quick kiss at her forehead and patted and stroked her head lovingly. However, her purple eyes gave out a glare of death to him. Kira's show of affection had ruined Meyrin's hair.

"I'm not a CAT!" She protested. Her boyfriend just smiled.

"Not now, Meyrin. Later, OK? Got to settle things first," Hearing this, the high-pigtailed young girl scowled.

Kira quickly moved towards Dearka and Lunamaria. His sulking red head followed him from behind, taking her sweet time to walk towards him while kicking some pebble around.

"Yo, D! What happened? It's been a long time since the last time I raced. Where's Tolle?"

"He's gone somewhere. Yuuna gave us a challenge the other day. A sprint he said." Dearka informed the chocolate-haired guy.

"That's a surprise. So, what's the catch?" Kira asked his senior.

"Yuuna will lose all money he got." The blonde replied indifferently.

"OK…As long you give me my portions, I have no complaints." Kira grinned.

Dearka scowled. "Make sure you wins tonight's race. I know you love money more than your own life, Kira…" Meyrin glared at the tanned man when he said this.

(Cough) "But we will lose our territory if you lose." He said gravely.

"Come again?" The lad looked confused.

"Yuuna will kick us from our turf if he defeats you in the race tonight."

"That's unacceptable! No one can kick us out! We're doing our business peacefully; we didn't even mess with his business! Last month, he wrecked Tolle's Civic for no apparent reason and now he got the guts to eliminate us completely!"

"Calm down, buddy. I know his demand is ridiculous. Last week, I did have the intention to choke the life out from his body but don't worry my friend. Just make sure your luck won't run out tonight. You need it. I need it. Everyone in our group needs it."

"Talking about your luck, Kira…I think your lucky streak will run out tonight." Yuuna jumped into their conversations. He put his arm on Kira's back, which was immediately shoved by the brunette.

"Get off your filthy hands from me, freak!" Animosity was building up…

"Kira, the famous racer on the street of Heliopolis…Oh, how I feared you…NOT!" The purple-haired man mocked the brunette.

"…"

"So, you're giving me a silent treatment, eh Kira?"

From Yuuna's bunch of hooligans, two men emerged and stood at Yuuna's both sides.

"I want you to meet fellow racers, Sam and Dol."

"What! This is SOOO damn unfair! That's three of you against Kira alone!" Dearka shouted but immediately fell silent when Lunamaria touched his shoulder.

"Don't create unnecessary fights, D. It's already 'hot' in here. See those guys?" Luna signalled Dearka to look at Yuuna's men. They looked very, _very _unfriendly, ready for any brawl. "Just believe in him…" she whispered to the older man.

"Hi, beautiful boy." The tall, muscular man with green hair, Sam, greeted Kira. He even winked at him. Meanwhile, the raven-haired man named Dol didn't say anything to Kira but instead he showed his middle finger to him.

"Why you…" Burning with anger, Kira spitted at Dol's face. A fight ensued between both of them.

"Hey, it's a fight!" A man shouted when he noticed the struggle between the two. The crowds were starting to get excited by the brawl between two street racers. The fight also agitates Yuuna's and Dearka's men.

"That's enough, Kira! Stop it, you two!" Dearka tried to stop the fight with the help of his gang. Yuuna, on the other hand, just smirked. His men encouraged Dol to bash Kira. Dearka's men also did the same thing to Kira, encouraging him to defeat his opponent. A short while later, the still struggling Kira and the furious Dol was separated from each other. Yuuna, satisfied that he was successful in provoking the chocolate-haired young man, began to leave the scene with his men. Dearka, his face was red with rage for Kira's behaviour, wanted to give a word or two to the brunette when Lunamaria stopped him…

"Kira, that's so stupid of you! Easily provoked by such stupid act! Keep your cool, man!" Lunamaria scolded the scowling Kira.

"That bastard deserves a beating, Luna! Don't ever try to preach me!" He shouted back.

SMACK!!! Meyrin, who stood beside Dearka gasped when her sister gave a cold, hard slap to her lover. Dearka still maintain his cool, although he did surprised by the drama unfolding in front of him…

"Kira! Watch your mouth when you're speaking to me! Of course, you're older than me but it is not right to speak back at me like that!" The dark purple-haired young woman yelled at Kira, who rubbed his reddened cheek.

"…"

"KIRA!" This time, Luna grabbed his shirt.

"Onee-san, please…Kira is already hurt…" Meyrin, her purple eyes began to wet with tears, tugged Luna's arm, trying to stop her from further antagonizing Kira.

Seeing Meyrin distressed face, Kira promptly apologized. "I'm sorry for being rude to you, Luna." Kira hung his head low, avoiding the purple head eyes. Luna immediately released her grip.

"I accepted your apology, Kira. Next time, don't ever, _ever, _raise your voice when you're speaking to your future sister-in-law and that's ME." Lunamaria smiled at him while glancing at Meyrin, who was instantly blushed by her sister's comment.

Kira just grinned sheepishly when he looked at both girls. "Dearka, I'm sorry, too. I just lose myself there."

The blonde man nodded at his chocolate-haired junior.

At that moment, Meyrin approached Kira and held his hands. "Please be careful, Kira…" She said worriedly, while resting her head on Kira's well-built chest.

"Don't worry, Meyrin." He embraced her, savouring her scent. "Please give your strength…I need it." Then, he planted a kiss on her soft cheeks.

Moments later, the four racers Dol, Kira, Sam and Yuuna, readied themselves for the race. Shortly before the main course of the night, they performed wheelies and 'superman-tricks' for the spectators before lining up in front of Lunamaria, the flag girl for the race. The night was 'heated' up by motorcycles' noise, the crowd's shouts, jeers and chants. For the race, Yuuna and his two men were using Honda Wave while Kira was using his usual 'baby', his blue and white Honda Super Cub. At that moment, the purple-haired jerk was beside Kira when he said malicious things to the brunette…

"Hey, baby-face! You'll die tonight! Don't expect to see Meyrin again after this, punk!" He shouted at Kira.

"F-k off, sissy! I will not die until this 'baby' dies along with me!" The chocolate-haired young man yelled back, pointing at his Honda Super Cub.

Lunamaria was eager to start off the race. "Ready for the fight tonight, guys? One, two, three…"

"Ramp it, Kira!" Dearka yelled. Meyrin also cheered for Kira.

"GO!!!!" The hot young lady yelled as she energetically waves her flag.

Kira revs up the throttle and he darted forward, leaving his opponents only seconds behind. However, his lead was temporary. Yuuna and his gang were able to catch up with him. Now, it is the battle of top speed. Leaving the crowd far behind, they exited Wells Road and entered the highway. Loud motorcycles' sound broke the silence of the night…The traffic was low because it's already too late a night. So, the four racers easily zipped through them. A few drivers cursed out profanities as the 'speed demons' passed through, in complete recklessness. Our hero was constantly revving up his bike to gain more speed. But it was already at top speed and cannot go any faster. By this moment, he realised he was in a pinch. His 'baby' could only reach a measly 80 km/h. His three opponents, however, were using Honda Wave, which is obviously faster than his Honda Super Cub. Those bikes can reach about 136 km/h!

_You're a fool, Kira__. How could you forget that you only have a Super Cub? These guys were using far more powerful bikes! This is unfair. _Kira thought. _I'll lose, for sure…_

The 4 bikes were speeding through the street and moving past a number of vehicles with complete disregard of safety of themselves and others. Then, Kira realized something was amiss…

_Those guys, __they can overtake me and left me behind. Their bikes are faster than mine. Now, the race is theirs but…why? Why they don't want to claim victory?_

Sam and Dol started to close in towards Kira. Kira realised that he was being sandwiched by those two hooligans.

_Nice try, boys! But I can see through your tricks! _Kira started to make his bike de-accelerate and just then he realised…

"You can't escape, Kira!" Yuuna shouted from his back. Now, our hero could not escape from the V-formation from Hell.

_Shit! I can't escape!_Kira started to worry. Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. He can't accelerate to outrun them, either. Their Honda Waves can easily outmatch his Honda Cub by the term of speed.

At that moment, three of them produced a gun, hidden somewhere in their bodies. _Oh, damn…I'll die for sure. Meyrin…_Kira was helpless now.

He can feel that his luck was running out. He can't escape from behind, left or right and in front of him was a truck! It was getting nearer and nearer…

_This is bad! Any seconds now, I'll be a goner! __Unless I do something now, I WILL DIE!!!! _With lightning speed, Kira kicked the guy at his right.

"AHHHH!" Dol yelled in pain. He loses his balance and crashed with a loud bang. Immediately, Sam started to three rounds from his gun but all of them miss Kira, who swerved to the right, farther from bloodthirsty man.

"This s.o.b just won't die!" He screamed in rage.

However, he forgot about the truck at the front. He supposed to swerve to the left but it's already too late to do anything now.

_Oh, I'm SOOO dead now…_Sam hit the back of the truck with such a violent force that his body was being propelled forward in high speed!

_Goodbye, motherf-ker…Say hello to __Devil for me. _Kira smiled.

With all the dangerous moments, adrenaline rushed through Kira's veins. His heart was beating too fast, way TOO fast…but he enjoyed it.

"It's not over yet, bastard!" Yuuna shouted. _Damn, that stupid gun got jammed when I needed it the most! _He cursed while throwing his gun away.

"Catch me if you can, A-hole!" Kira yelled back. The high speed chase was getting more and more dangerous. At this point, the street race is not for money anymore for Kira. It's for his survival. _I got to shake off this lunatic! _He mentally screamed. To make the matter worse, they were approaching the traffic light. The light was red; a lot of vehicles were already waiting for the light to go green. However, those two punks didn't have the intention to stop!

_God, this is crazy! _Crazy as it may be, but Kira had to do it. _It's better to die here than by Yuuna's filthy hands…or maybe his boots!_

Both of them weaved through the vehicles in front of them and they tried to avoid incoming vehicles from their left side! Tonight, both of their guardian angels really did a great job…

Yuuna, fuming with anger, tried to get his bike closer to Kira's. He tried to kick off Kira, to make him lose balance but his kicks failed to connect with his intended target. To mock Yuuna, Kira showed his obscenities with his finger.

_Kira, __I'll swear I'll cut that finger…_

In less than a minute, they'll leave the highway and into Wells Road again. Realising the futility of his attempts, Yuuna abandoned his plan to eliminate Kira and accelerated at top speed, leaving Kira behind. Now, he wanted to win. _The business to kill him has to wait for another day…Right now, I must win this race! _Yuuna was seething with anger. However, tonight, Yuuna made a bad choice. He wanted to end the race hastily that he made a fatal mistake; he underestimates the junction. There's logic behind every drive instructors' warning:

_Don't drive or ride at high speed when you're entering a junction._

Yuuna's disregard of that common wisdom caused him to overshot the junction and hit the road divider; _very, very _hard. Meanwhile, Kira watched delightfully as Yuuna was hurled from his bike. Then, Yuuna's body was tumbling, over and over again…

_Damn, that gonna hurts. _Kira cringed at the horrible sight.

_**Meanwhile, at the finishing line…**_

"I hope Kira's all right…" Meyrin nibbles her thumb, worried sick.

"He'll be." Her big sister reassured her. "My future brother-in-law is a lucky guy, isn't he?" Luna poked Meyrin's side.

"ONEE-SAN!" The younger girl pushed her sister, her face as red as a boiled lobster.

From a distance, a distinctive motorcycle noise broke the tension in the air…

"See, that's him!" Lunamaria shouted joyfully. The crowd was starting to get noisy again.

"I can't see Yuuna and his other two riders…Where are they?" A number of people started to wonder loudly. Yuuna's man started to get agitated. Meanwhile, Dearka's men armed themselves secretly…Soon after; Kira arrived at the finishing line. After he stopped his bike, his Meyrin rushed towards him, her face beamed with joy. Then, other people started to crowd him. In the meantime, Yuuna's men realising their defeat, tried to leave the place stealthily but were halted by Dearka's men. As for Yuuna's money, its Dearka's now. So, our Kira won the race for the night. However, he didn't regret that his victory came with blood sacrifices. _Yuuna and his men are stupid. They deserve to die like that, _he thought. As for Dearka, tonight, he was happiest guy in Heliopolis.

_**1 hour later, after the race…**_

Kira and his lover entered his house, tiptoeing. He let Meyrin entered his room first and when he was going to enter…

"KIRA!!!" A shrill voice came out from behind, startling him.

Kira quickly closed the door and locked it from the outside. He met the owner of the angry voice, that of his _twin sister. _

"Where have you been, dumbass? I was worried sick ya'know? I called you but you didn't bring along your handphone! You always let me eat those instant noodles crap! You were supposed to COOK me dinner, A-HOLE! Answer my question, KIRA!" Cagalli started to bombard our poor hero with questions.

"I was...helping…er…Mwu-san, sis," he replied nervously.

"For Pete's sake! Don't lie to me, Kira Yamato! No sane people will sell burgers until 4 am!" the blonde girl snapped.

"Well, Mwu is an insane guy, to begin with." Kira countered nonchalantly.

"Oh, it's like that …" The blonde sibling of Kira shifted her gaze to the ceiling. **Seconds later…**"HEY, DON'T FOOL WITH ME, KIRA!"

However, Kira was nowhere to be seen…Now, Cagalli was very pissed. She banged his door continuously.

"GET OUT FROM THERE, YOU S.O.B!" She shouted.

No reply. Except loud radio sound blasted through the green-coloured door.

"KIRA! YOU JERK!" Cagalli left to her room while plugging her ears with cotton and spewing out not-so-beautiful utterances.

_**Mean**__**while, in Kira's room…**_

"Your sister is a pain in the ass." Meyrin noted in disgust.

"That's cannot be helped. Hey, don't frown on me, Mey. It doesn't suit your cute face."

The dark crimson-haired girl giggled. "Come here, Kira…" she cooed softly while loosening her hair. Kira could feel heat rising up in his body.

"Whoa, slow down girl." Kira took off his shirt, revealing his tough body. The purple eyed girl purred in delight.

"_Now_, we can get busy." A smile formed on his lips…

* * *

Glossary: 

**Wheelie** – a trick where the front wheel or wheels come off the ground and the vehicle is balanced on the rear wheel or wheels

**Superman**- Motorcycle trick. Usually used by motocross racers.

**Honda Wave**- Another small motorcycle model manufactured by Honda Motor Co. Ltd as a successor of the world's most popular motorcycle model, Honda Cub (the bike Kira used in this fic)

**Onee-san** – big sister (Japanese)

**Civic** – Full name: Honda Civic. It is a compact car manufactured by Honda. Tolle used the 5th generation Civic sedan.

**Heliopolis - **the place setting for this fic. It's a metropolitan city and not a space colony, mind you!

* * *

A/N: Please read & review! For the racing part, I tried my best to describe it. Sorry if there are any mistakes or errors. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Until the next update!  



	3. Reds

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By hikari luv shirayuki

_**Disclaimer: Gundam SEED, PSP and iPod are not mine. They are owned by Bandai, Sony and Apple, respectively. And Fed-Ex, well, they are owned by Fed-Ex. Imperial Stormtroopers are owned by Palpatine, I guess... :P  
**_

* * *

Author notes: (Grin) Chapter 3 is up! Good news, people; Fllay will have her part in this chapter. I would like to thank to those who have read and reviewed my fic. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 3: Reds 

_**Clyne's Mansion…**_

"_Fllay, guess what I got for you for your birthday…" The elderly man smiled._

_The child giggled happily when she saw her father hiding something behind his back._

"_Ummm…Papa, Fllay thinks…" Fllay tried to answer but she stopped halfway._

_Her father's image transformed into a tall, slim man with slightly wavy, shoulder-length, blonde hair._

"_Papa?"_

"_Fllay my dear…papa bought you a doll." Fllay could not discern whether her 'papa' smiled or not; his face was obscured by darkness._

"_A doll…" She said quietly._

"_Let's __**play **__together…"_

"Fllay, Fllay…" A woman's voice woke the red hair from her sleep. That person shook her up gently.

"Aisha-san, what's the time, now?" The Allster girl asked groggily.

"It's 5 a.m. Both of us have to wake up early. Remember? Clyne-sama's friend will come over. We have to prepare something for the guest." The dark blue-haired woman reminded her.

"OK." Fllay replied, still half-asleep. Aisha patted her buttocks and left the room to leave the redhead tidied herself. However, the latter didn't know that the former eagerly wanted her to leave the room.

Fllay hurriedly went to the door, closed it gently to avoid commotion and firmly locked it. Then, she returned to her bed, tears were already forming in her eyes, waiting to fall from its place.

"Why does that _**monster **_have to appear in my dreams?" She yelled out in rage. No one will hear it. Her voice will only be confined to the room.

A poor pillow was being thrown to the wall. Soft thud came out.

"Papa, _I miss you…_" Fllay continued her wail, hugging her knees.

Moments later, she got up, folded her blanket and tidied up her bed. Eyes were red and swollen. With legs feeling heavy, she went to the bathroom. Minutes have passed, she was done. Fllay took her maid uniform from her closet and wore it. Next, she tied her red hair into a simple ponytail. It just took her a while and then, she went straight to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Fllay." Aisha greeted her warmly and at the same time, taking out a pot from the cabinet.

"Good morning to you, too, Aisha-san." The crimson-haired girl greeted her senior. Thin smile was on her lips.

"Today, we are going to be busy, Fllay. Let's work together, OK?"

"Hai." Fllay went on and started to work with a pan.

_**Hours later, 8 in the morning…**_

Two teenagers, still in their pajamas, went down the main stairs, looking very, _very_ sleepy.

"Good morning, Miss Lacus, Miss Meer." A deep man's voice courteously greeted them both.

"…"

"Ahem, Misses?"

"Good morning…Waltfeld-san." The two 14 years old, pink-haired girls greeted the butler of the house back, albeit a little slow. Andrew Waltfeld, the Clyne's butler, just shook his head lightly.

"Food…food…breakfast…" Both of them repeated those words like a mantra. Andrew just sweatdropped as he watched them walked towards the dining room. _Like a pair of zombies; a pair of __**pink headed zombies**__…_The brown-haired man chuckled. In the mean time, in the dining room, Fllay was busy pouring tea to three cups when those twins entered. The sight was so absurd; Fllay could not help but to giggle softly.

"MISS LACUS! MISS MEER! HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TOLD YOU NOT TO GO TO THE DINING ROOM UNLESS BOTH OF YOU HAS ALREADY TAKEN YOUR BATH AND CHANGED YOUR CLOTHES!" Aisha's high-pitched, angry voice resonated through the room.

Both of the pink _princesses_ quickly rushed out from the room, fearing for their lives. Aisha, the so-called 'evil old hag', as both Lacus and Meer called her, just snorted.

"Kids these days…" The older woman shook her head.

"Let them be, Aisha-san. They are just kids, after all." Fllay added with a smile. _Bad move_. She got a hell of scolding and lecturing. It went on and on until Siegel Clyne himself appeared for his breakfast. With her mouth shut, Fllay continued her work, miserably.

After the owner of the mansion and his daughter finished their breakfast, Fllay went to do her cleaning work. At 10 am, Clyne-sama's guest arrived.

"Patrick, it has been long time since the last time I have seen you. How's life in Junius City?" The twins' father greeted and hugged his old friend, Patrick Zala.

"It's fine, old friend. When I looked at you, you haven't changed a bit." The elderly German man smiled.

"Is this your son? He looks like Lenore." Siegel gestured to the young man behind Patrick, who resembled his deceased wife.

"Yes, he is my son. Athrun, go and greet your Uncle Siegel."

The blue-haired young man smiled at his host and shook his hand. Old Siegel also commented that _little_ Athrun had grown up a lot that he barely recognized him.

"Come, come. Let's get into the house, shall we? There's a lot for us to catch up, isn't it?" Siegel-sama invited them to the mansion's living hall. So, pleasantries were exchanged between two old friends until it is the time for lunch. They talked and talked, about the old days, their current lives, etcetera and etcetera. Unfortunately for poor Patrick's son, Athrun, their conversation bored him to death. _Old men…_he sighed.

"Hey, Siegel…Where are they?" Patrick looked everywhere.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Lacus went to her weekend piano class. Meanwhile, Meer went out for tuition class."

"I know Lacus is very talented. But, Meer went to tuition class?" The German man wondered.

"Well…My Meer is a complete opposite from Lacus. Strange isn't it. I wonder what went wrong." The Scandinavian man said, ruefully.

"Siegel, Siegel. Everyone has their own good qualities. Meer as a rare treasure, waiting to be unearthed…"

Fllay entered the dining room, carrying a tray of additional dishes. She walked gingerly to avoid spilling the hot soup.

_Wow, a red-haired bombshell. _Athrun stole a glance at her, admiring every physical being of her. Suddenly, an idea passed slightly like a lightning in Athrun's head…

Fllay stood in between the chairs where Athrun and his father sat. She was busy serving Zala-sama at her left so she turned her back to Athrun, who was at her right. Our blue boy smiled mischievously, moved his glass to his left side. When Fllay turned to her right to serve Athrun…

"Ah! You spilled the water on me!" The 'panicked' Athrun immediately got up, alarmed that he was wet between the legs.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Fllay incessantly apologized while wiping Athrun's trouser. Now, the blue-haired boy was far away, in the cloud 9…

"What have you done, Fllay?! AISHA!" Clyne-sama's shout rang throughout the room.

"Yes, Master?" Aisha rushed to her Master's call.

"Please take care of this young man here. He's wet in the pants." The old man ordered and in the same time apologized to the young man's father.

"It's just a small matter, Siegel. Everyone makes mistake…"

Nevertheless, due to her mistake, Fllay was being reprimanded personally by Siegel Clyne himself. _What an unlucky day._ The red hair cursed the daily horoscope that she always fond of, for giving the wrong predictions. Emerged out from the hot soup, Fllay dragged herself to the washroom.

"Fllay?"

"No more please, Aisha-san. Two scolding a day is enough for me. Today sucks." The silver eyed girl said nonchalantly.

Aisha sighed. "I don't know what got into you today. You never make a mistake like that, especially in front of Clyne-sama's guest."

"Thanks, sempai." Fllay washed her face with the intention to hide her tears. _I must be strong. I must be strong. _She repeated those sentences mentally, like a mantra.

"Go outside and have a fresh air. I need you to buy groceries." The older woman patted Fllay's shoulder to comfort her.

"Hai…"

So, our Fllay went out of the house, looking gloomily for the second time in a day.

"Doing errands, Fllay?"

"Yes, Martin…" She answered lazily.

"What happened?" Da Costa tried to find out, for curiosity's sake.

"It's a LOOOONG story. You will be bored." She replied while wearing a thin smile. Then, she continued walking, leaving the front porch and Martin, who watched her sympathetically.

"Hey, hey, hey! Red hair!"

"What is it, Ogre?" This time, the 19 years old girl was _really _irritated.

"It's _Orga_, jou-chan. O-R-G-A." The green haired gardener even spelt out his name.

"I don't give a DAMN, Ogre." She replied, full of loathe.

"Tsk, tsk. Having your period, jou-chan? Wanna go out to buy tampons?" Orga Sabnak said it with a grin, oblivious to the death glare given by Fllay.

Like a lightning, a shoe zipped past the green hair's head, although it was intended for his face.

"Poor aim, as usual." He moaned. "Are you an Imperial stormtrooper before eh, Fllay?"

Instead, the shoe hit another gardener who was listening to his iPod while raking dried leaves in the compound. An angry cry of pain was heard.

"Shit! WHO DID THAT?!" The pissed gardener, Shani, yelled furiously.

"It's Fllay!" Orga yelled back and re-shift his attention to the redhead. However, she was not there anymore. "WTF?"

"Fuck you, Orga! You did that, didn't you? You always want to mess with me!"

"Hey, it's not my fault! I'm innocent! Somebody please call my lawyer!" The green head flailed his arms around.

"Here's your _lawyer…_" Shani roughly grabbed Orga and started to spank him mercilessly.

"OWWW!!!! THAT HURTS!!!!"

"Crying for mercy eh, Orga?" Satisfaction began to creep inside.

"AHHH, SPANK ME MORE! MORE, I TELL YOU!"

"Fuck off, shithead. Are you into S&M?" Shani looked at him disgustedly. At the same time, he let Orga go.

"No, I only fit in XL." The green-haired man replied back casually while dusting off his butt.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, MOTHERFUCKER!"

"_Shut up_ and _go back_ to work, both of you! Do you want me to report to Clyne-sama that both of you are slacking off?!" An angry voice boomed from their right side.

Colours began to drain away from the two's faces. Fearing their head gardener, Clotho, both of them scurried away and returned to their respective post.

"Bungling fools." The reddish orange-haired guy muttered lowly. Then, he returned to the backyard and fished something out from his pocket.

It was a PSP. He brought it back to life and was immediately immersed in it.

"Damn, this Xerxes bastard is sure a tough a-hole to beat!" Clotho cursed loudly.

As for our Fllay, she continued her walk towards the hyper mart. The redhead was humming popular tunes and occasionally talked to her self…

_**Meanwhile, at the other side of Heliopolis…**_

"KIRA! You're late!" The crimson-haired girl showed her displeasure towards the grinning brunette.

"Sorry…Mey. You see, my bike has only 3 gears. It can't go any faster than that. That's why I'm late." Kira tried to come up with excuses.

"Oh, _is _that so? I bet you met other girl before you came here." Meyrin sneered.

"It's true, honey…" The chocolate head pleaded innocence.

"You're useless, Kira. _Give_ me that helmet." Meyrin continued her grumbling and all that stuff. Kira just heave a sigh.

Moments later, Meyrin insisted to stop at the Mega Heliopolis Hyper Mart. She promptly left Kira, who waited at the parking lot, and the still in-foul-mood redhead went inside the mart.

_**In the meantime, inside the hyper mart; vegetables department…**_

Fllay, on the other hand, hummed cheerful tunes while choosing vegetables that were on sale.

"Let see…leeks, shallots, garlic, and lettuce..." She said in sing-song manner while picking them up and put them all in a basket.

"Ah, Aisha-san also asked me to get some flour and red meat. I'm busy, I'm busy."

Buying groceries was Fllay's favorite task, for unknown reason. _When you love something, you don't need a reason for loving it, right? _The crimson-haired maid mentally noted herself.

Her shopping just took for a while because Aisha asked her to buy a few things. Feeling satisfied, Fllay paid everything and went out from the hyper mart. However, at the stairs leading to the hyper mart, she was knocked down by someone from behind, causing her to fall down. As expected, Fllay's lettuces, shallots, two bags of flour and others were spilled out and strewn all over the ground.

_Damn. _Fllay looked up to see the person who did that to her.

"It's a _girl_?!" She gasped. First; shock. Then, it turned into anger when she realized the girl didn't stop, either to help her or to apologize for the unpleasant incident. The girl just ran away, leaving flabbergasted Fllay behind to pick up her groceries.

"Stupid redhead…" Fllay grumbled.

_**Kira's POV**_

Damn, I waited for 1 hour already! Buying one chocolate bar; FOR ONE HOUR?! This is too much, Meyrin! I waited here like hell and worse, UNDER THE HOT SUN! Ah, _there _she is. She's already late, now she's taking her sweet time to come here?! Come on, RUN! I don't have the time to see you doing catwalk!

_**End of Kira's POV**_

"I'm sorry, Kira. It took me awhile to search for my favorite chocolate. Are you angry with me?" Meyrin beg for his forgiveness while edging closer to him.

"Hahahaha. Never mind, Meyrin. That's OK." Kira smiled. _No, what am I doing? I'm supposed to scold her!_

"You're the best, honey." The crimson-haired girl hugged her boyfriend and gave him a quick kiss on his left cheek.

"Hop on, Meyrin." The brunette gave Meyrin her helmet. She just grinned when watching her lover's cheeks reddened like a tomato. _Oh, I'm so hopeless_…One knock to the head by himself.

"Let's go then, Kira."

So, the lovey-dovey couple went off for their much delayed date at the famous Silver Jubilee Park, Heliopolis' famous spot for couples. When both of them arrived there, the first thing they wanted is a place to sit. Kira wanted to sit under a tree but the redhead rejected his proposal. She got another idea. The brunette just relented, not wanting to cross his girlfriend again.

"Come, Kira! I found a bench for us to sit!" Meyrin said eagerly.

"Slow down, Mey…That Lake won't run away." He panted.

Then, everything was being settled down. The two of them sat together on the bench, facing the Lake. The evening was peaceful, perfect setting for couples.

"Kira dear, I want you to say 'what'."

"Wha…" Meyrin popped a big chunk of chocolate into his mouth. Kira mumbled something while he munched and then he swallowed the whole thing down.

"Meyrin…" Amethyst glared at the purple. However, it quickly changed into an intent gaze.

The latter just giggled at the former. Seeing her cheerful face, Kira gave Meyrin a hug. Then, he caressed her crimson hair and touched her plump, red lips and kissed it. Pleasant fragrance of her hair entered Kira's nose. Meyrin went quiet when Kira did that. _God, he's making me weak…_

Just then, Kira noticed that something soft was rubbing against his calf.

"Err, Meyrin. Excuse me for a while." He let go of her and went to check what was down there. To his surprise, it was a cat; black cat.

"Hey, it's a cat!" He exclaimed and took it to his lap. The cat purred pleasantly when Kira patted and stroked it lovingly.

"Meyrin, look at this…" Kira was in jovial mood but the red-haired young girl's horrified look killed the supposedly cheerful atmosphere.

"GET…THAT…THING…AWAY…FROM…ME…" Goosebumps were all over Meyrin's arms and her pink face turned pale.

"Come on, Mey. He's cute." He lifted the cat from his lap and showed it to Meyrin.

"NO! KIRA, PLEASE DON'T!" She pushed away Kira's hand and immediately got up from the bench. "THAT'S IT, MR.YAMATO! YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!" Meyrin, looking flustered, hastily left the place. Kira's apologies and pleas went unheeded.

"What have I done wrong? Do you know the answer, Mister Cat?" Kira was puzzled by Meyrin's sudden outburst.

The cat just meowed.

_**11 pm, Clyne's mansion…**_

"Fllay onee-chan, Fllay onee-chan, where are you?" Two girl voices were calling out simultaneously for certain redhead.

"Here, at the washing room. I'm doing laundry." The young maid replied calmly despite being busy. The humming of the washing machine filled the room.

"Both of you still up at this time?" Fllay asked while glancing at the clock on the wall. However, the question left unanswered.

"Are you busy now?" Lacus and Meer asked in unison.

Fllay smiled warmly. "Yes, as you can see." She pointed at the basketful of dirty clothes. "But, I think I'll do it later. What can I do for you, Miss Lacus, Miss Meer?"

"Lacus wanted a hot dog." The younger pink head with a star-shaped hair clip pointed at her older sibling.

"It's already late, Miss Lacus." Fllay wiped her wet hands with a small towel. Her face turned serious.

"I'm sorry, Fllay onee-chan. I know it is late already but I wanted one SOOO bad."

"Aisha onee-chan _will_ skin me alive if she knows about this, dear." Fllay gently stroked Lacus' pink hair. The latter looked dejected, though. At the same time, the red-haired young woman was waging a war inside her head. Then, the victorious side emerged out.

"Don't worry, Lacus-sama. I'll go."

"Then, I want a burger, too!" Meer chirped in. "Just like what Fllay onee-chan ate the other day!" At once, the older pink-haired girl handed Fllay money to buy their orders, with a big smile.

"Hai, hai." Her head nodded in surrender.

"YAY!" The twins rejoiced and then rushed back to their room.

Fllay could only sigh and shook her head. Not long enough after that, she left the place and went to her room. There, she changed her maid uniform into casual clothes; a plain light green blouse and a pair of jeans.

"Fllay, where are you going?" Aisha asked as she entered their room moments later. She went straight to her locker, bringing out her pajamas.

"I'm going out. The twins asked me to buy some food." Buttons are being clasped.

"_Fllay_…I think you forget _something_." The older woman crossed her arms, not looking very happy.

"Yes, I know…DON'T BE TOO LENIENT TOWARDS THOSE TWO." Fllay replied with a smile as she did her hair in a bun.

"But, Fllay, it's _already_ late." Aisha sat on her own bed, tried to put some sense in the younger girl's head.

"Don't worry sempai. There's one burger stall just near to this house." Cherry head reassured the green-eyed woman.

"OK, OK. Just watch your back and come back as soon as possible."

"YES, MADAM!" Fllay stiffen up and saluted her senior.

"We're not in the military, redhead." The blue head, slightly amused, waved her hand off.

The younger maid grinned and departed from their room and to the front door. It was quite warm outside. As she walked towards the mansion's main gate, the mansion's security guard greeted her.

"Going out, Fllay?" He politely asked the girl.

"Yes, Azrael-san."

"Be careful, OK?" He reminded while opening the gates.

Warm smile was on her lips and she slowly walked past the huge main gate. It just took her around 15 minutes to her intended place. _I hope he's still there…_

Unfortunately, from what she saw, the blond was not there. _That's strange…_She looked around and still no sign of the burger stall's owner. Only silence of the night greeted her.

"What's your order, Miss?" Someone asked her from behind, startling her.

"I want a…HEY, BRUNETTE PUNK!" Fllay exclaimed excitedly when she saw the owner of the voice.

"Who are you?" The chocolate-haired boy asked with a confused look. "One more thing, you're _very_ rude towards a stranger like me."

"I see. Maybe you will remember me after I did THIS!" Fllay moved forward, pecked his nose, flicked his forehead and punched his stomach; all in one go.

"Ouch, why did you do that?"

"OK, _now_, do you remember me?"

"**Fuck off**. I _remembered_ you. You're the one who bashed me last week!"

Fllay laughed heartily. "Now, be a _nice_ man and prepare for me one special chicken burger and one plain hotdog, without any relish." The cherry head patted the punk, his face still contorted with pain.

"Damn you, bitch." Kira cursed while he got up.

"Tsk, tsk. Don't ever, _ever _swear to your customer."

"OK, OK. Just stand there and _be quiet_." Cold glares were given. So, Kira went to the burger stall and began to prepare the orders, all in a foul mood.

"Hey, punk, where's your boss?" Fllay wondered, lightly kicking pebbles around.

"Don't call me by that name. Do you want me to _really_ run you down with my bike?" Threats started to fly.

"Sorry." She realized that she went overboard a bit. "I'm supposed to introduce myself first, right?"

The burger boy nodded.

"My name is Fllay Allster. Just call me Fllay." She smiled, hoping to get positive response. "And you?"

"Kira. Kira Yamato. Don't ever call me 'Yamato-san'. It makes me feel very old if you call me by that name." The brunette frowned a bit. On the other hand, the redhead giggled at his statement.

"So, Kira, where's yellow gorilla? Err...I mean your boss." Foolish grin came out.

"He went down with a fever." The right hand of his flipped the patty.

"I see."

"I told him not to act so impulsively. He's not a kid anymore." Barely audible sighs were heard.

"You do care a lot about him." Fllay noted. No matter how mundane it is, Fllay still attracted to how burgers were made. _He made it look so easy…_

"Why _**yellow gorilla**_?" Kira laughed quietly.

"I heard you called him by that name the other day." Fllay went away from the brunette. Something caught her attention. _The white and blue motorcycle…it's from the other day._

"Heh, he's a stupid guy. Hey, what are you doing?"

"This bike is SOOO yesterday." Her warm hand touched the bike seat. It was cold.

"Tell me about it." Kira sighed.

She looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Well, I wanted to buy a new bike." He gazed forlornly into the moonless night sky.

"You looked like an old man when you talked like that."

"WHY, YOU…" Kira started to become angry but his fury dissipated when he realized that Fllay was now beside him, examining the grated cabbages and stuffs.

"Shit, you are giving me the creeps, lady. Just now you were standing beside my Cub. Now, you are here!" The brunette started to become pale.

"…" Serious look on her face.

"NO WAY!" Fear started to conquer reason. Goosebumps were everywhere.

Fllay, on the other hand, still maintain her cool composure while examining the eggs. After she had done with it, she turned her gaze at Kira; he was already 3 steps away from her, a spatula in his hand-pointing threateningly at Fllay. Tension started to form in the air…A lone drop of cold sweat trickled down the brunette's forehead.However, Fllay could no longer maintain her serious look and started to burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha!" Fllay laughed so hard that she held her stomach. "Damn, Kira!" She laughed again and again until tears formed around her eyes.

"What? What is it? What is SOOO funny?" Bewildered look formed on Kira's face. The spatula was being gripped tighter than ever before.

Fllay tried hard to suppress her laughs but failed miserably. Kira became flustered at the sight and started to walk towards the cherry head, fists were clenched…

"OK, OK! I'll tell you!" The girl raised her arm as a sign of surrender but she could not stop laughing.

"Explain slowly…" Kira now towered over her, looking very pissed off.

Her laughter began to subside and Fllay wiped of her tears. "You're SOOO naïve, Kira. I moved towards you when you were in the dreamland just now, dumbass. You should see your face in the mirror just now!"

"Ceh, is that all?!" Kira continued his work, looking very upset.

"Liar. Acting tough but with a heart of a chicken," she chuckled. Then, Fllay headed towards Kira's Super Cub again.

"Where do you get your money to buy a new bike? Working at burger stall will get you nowhere, Kira." She inquired, only her back facing him.

"That's only for the night time, girl. During the day, I worked as a dispatch. Delivering packages here and there. Like FedEx guys. Only on weekdays, though. Weekends, I'll drive trucks. Sometimes, I'll go to workshops."

"Without a doubt, you are a very busy man." The redhead blinked. Her hands were still on the bike's seat while her silver eyes trailed towards the young man. _No wonder he's so skinny. Never thought a frail guy like him actually works like an ox…_There, she noticed a genuine desire to attain his goal in his amethyst eyes.

"For my 'baby', I'll do anything." Determination and pride, burned in the Kira's eyes.

"Man's ego." Fllay muttered under her breath. _God, another stupid guy…_

"Hey, I heard that!"

Ignoring the brunette's protests, Fllay continued looking at Kira's bike. _It's very old and looked worn out. Heck, he even sewed back the torn leather seat! What a cheap guy…_

"Yo, red-haired barbarian! Your orders' done!" Kira called her to attention. _Good lord…_

"My name is Fllay, dumbass." The crimson-haired girl hissed. "I've proper name, you know. _Just now_ we agree to call each other by names."

Amethyst eyes just rolled, out of defiance.

"Fine, how much?" Fllay looked angrily at him. Electric sparks were forming.

"3.50."

She handed the money unceremoniously and started to walk away, leaving the frowning burger boy behind. _Stupid bastard, _Fllay cursed. Next time, she swore, she will never buy burgers from that stall _if _Kira was there.

"At least that blond is a gentleman…" Her thought wandered off towards the 'yellow gorilla'. Unfortunately for her, it was for a while. A honk shook her from the la-la land.

"WTF?!" She shrieked, blinded by the hi-light.

"Hop on." A helmet was given to Fllay, who was still confused and stunned.

"I won't ride with you, punk!" Fllay protested while shoved the helmet back to its owner. Then, she continued to walk again, this time with faster pace. Seconds later, a hand pulled her back towards the bike. The young girl tried to yell out for help but her attempts were stopped by a stern voice.

"Shut up, Fllay. I'm not going to kidnap you, stupid!" The man knocked her head, _hard_.

In the mean time, Fllay's head was covered by a helmet. Then, a pair of hands helped her to strap it. She wanted to do it herself but she let him do it, Fllay was too dazed anyway.

_Why he always scowled like that? _Somehow, Fllay felt very hot, especially on her cheeks and both of her ears. _I'm thinking of strange things…_She shook it off, looking at her feet instead.

"At least you say my name correctly, Kira." She frowned but quickly changed it into a warm smile.

"Whatever. Hop on, now." The brunette coldly instructed. The cherry head grinned.

"Why do you want to help me?"

"Nothing in particular…Well, redheads made me sick…" His voice trailed off, eyes looking skyward.

Fllay understood._ Arrogant fool…_

"Thank you, Kira."

"Don't mention it. It's unsafe for a girl to walk alone at this time. Hold tight, OK?" If it was not for the dimly lit streets, surely Fllay could see Kira's reddening cheeks, although he sounded gruff.

The cherry head nodded in approval. She wrapped her arms around Kira's body. _Not bad, for a frail-looking guy…_

But, what happened next horrified the 19 years old.

"YOU'RE WAY TOO FAST, KIRA!"

Unfortunately, Fllay's bloodcurdling screams were drowned by the roar of the motorcycle. It was a ride to Hell.

* * *

Glossary

Jou-chan – miss (Japanese).

Onee-chan – big sister (Japanese)

Hai – yes (Japanese)

* * *

A/N: Well, the reason why Fllay didn't appear in Ch.2 because it is intentional. As you can see, I tried to explain who Kira is actually and his current life. For Meyrin's and Athrun's fans out there, I would like to apologize for my depiction of those two. However, it is necessary for my story, though. :P No hard feelings, all right? Please R&R, OK? Criticisms are allowed, too. Sorry for any errors or mistakes. Before I forget, anonymous reviews are accepted. Until the next update! 


	4. Torn Between

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By hikari luv shirayuki

_**Disclaimer: Neither Gundam SEED nor Yamaha Y125Z are mine. Both of them are owned by Bandai and Yamaha Motor Company, respectively. Boohoohoo…**_

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the late update, people! I can't get into the net for the past 2 weeks. God, it was horrible! But I managed to work on Ch. 4 and Ch. 5. Thousand thanks to those who have reviewed the last chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Torn Between… 

Kira Yamato was one happy guy today. Finally, all his previous efforts have paid out and he got his wish: in a form of Yamaha Y125Z; so it's a goodbye for his old white and blue Honda Super Cub; that poor guy went to the scrap yard.

_Today, we are going to the 'hospital', _he thought happily, while zipping through the busy traffic.

_**Somewhere, in Heliopolis…**_

Tolle was busy cleaning a spark plug when he heard a motorcycle sound nearing the small shack of his. Wondering who it was, he went out; old toothbrush in his hand.

"Kira! Good to see you, man." The 20 years old beamed. Seconds later, his face was full with excitement. "You got a new bike!"

Kira just grinned as he saw his buddy rushed towards his new prized possesion. "I wanted you to do an 'operation' to her," he instructed, pointing at his new Y125Z.

"That is SOOO yesterday, Kira." Tolle sighed while crossing his arms.

Kira was dumbfounded by that young man's statement. The brown-haired man just rolled his eyes, when seeing the confounded face of the other brunette.

"Nowadays, people wanted to _pimp_ their bike, asshole." Kira was enlightened.

_**Few days later, Mwu's burger place…**_

"Nice sound you got there, Kira!" The blond yelled as Kira throttled up his newly modified bike. "Just nice…Tolle did a good job, I would say." He chuckled to himself.

Kira's face beamed with pride as he pulled out some motorcycle tricks. In contrast, one girl, who stood in front of Mwu's burger stall, was not very pleased when watching all of this.

"Mey, you are so quiet today." Mwu asked the redhead beside him. However, the younger girl didn't answer back.

"Kira, let's go home!" Meyrin cupped her hands to amplify her voice. Kira heard her voice and slowed himself down. The brunette looked flustered when his amusement was interrupted.

"Hey, now it's still too early, Mey." Mwu was surprised. "It's 8 pm and you already want to go home?"

"I got stuff to do, Mwu-san," she quickly replied while jogged towards her man. "Please excuse us and take care!"

"I will." The blue-eyed man waved lightly.

So, the couple sped off, leaving Mwu behind. However, in the middle of their way, Meyrin tapped Kira's helmet and signaling him to stop. The youth agreed to do so.

"What is it? The chocolate-haired man looked irritated. He was still angry with the redhead.

"Bring me to the hill overlooking the city." She knew he was not in his best mood but preferred not to shoot back.

"Right now? Why, Mey?"

"Just go there. We need to talk." The redhead told him calmly.

No more questions from him. Kira just followed what Meyrin asked him to do.

_I wondered what she wanted to say…_

_**Several minutes later, at the hill…**_

"Kira, do you love me or not?" The killer question popped out. It was chilly on top of the hill.

"Of course, I love you, Mey. It's obvious." Kira smiled his best smile.

"You lied." Meyrin shot a glare towards him. The cold night grew even colder. "You loved this bike more than me." His earlier smile faltered.

"What's wrong with you tonight? Why, it's normal for me to buy a new bike. Anyone will do that."

Meyrin heaved a sigh and went quiet for a while. The crimson-haired girl shivered a bit because of the night's breeze. Kira realized this and went near her. He regretted for not bringing along his jacket.

"I thought you were toiling hard all these days for both of us." She finally spoke. At the same time, she gazed towards the city below.

"What do you mean by that?" His hands were on her shoulder, rubbing it.

"Kira, all these days, I was happy seeing you worked so hard." Meyrin paused for a while. Her eyes closed.

"You even saved your money in the bank. I knew it because sometimes you brought me along." The brown head opened his mouth to speak but his girl put her finger on his lips, silencing him.

"At that time, I preferred not to ask you and pretended to be oblivious about it. Oh, Kira, my heart fluttered thinking about the possibilities!" She turned her head towards her man. Purple bored into the amethyst.

"All these times, I thought you were thinking about our future! I thought you were saving money for our future!" Her melancholic voice changed. Now, it trembled with anger, tinged with disappointment.

The brunette just stood there, speechless. He distanced himself from her and looked towards the sky, ashamed to face his woman. Just then, Meyrin started to shed tears.

"I was happy…then." She said between her sobs. "I thought…you really wanted to settle down with me…wanted to take me as your wife… I thought the money that you saved is for that purpose." Her sobs turned into a wail. "I felt moved…seeing you worked so hard and painstakingly saving money…"

Her hands were now gripped tight.

"But, instead…" Her voice went into high-pitch. "YOU BOUGHT THIS STUPID BIKE!"

Neither both of them moved. They stayed that way for a while.

"Take me home, Kira…" The petite young girl murmured.

_**

* * *

**_

"Hello there, mister! Long time no see!" Certain redhead with a simple white t-shirt; a smiley on its center, and black knee-length skirt greeted the spacing out Mwu.

The yellow-haired man quickly left his dream land. "It's been a while too; Miss Fllay!" Mwu greeted her back.

"Come on, Mwu-san. Just call me Fllay. I always came here." The young woman put her hands on her curvaceous hips.

"It's my habit, Missy. We are both the same, OK? You always called me 'mister'." He pointed a spatula towards her.

"That's because you are older than me and I respected you! I just can't call you 'Mwu'! It's…embarrassing." The cherry head replied while fiddling her fingers, her face as red as her hair.

"Forget about that, Miss. What happened to you for the past two weeks? My stall has been quiet without a regular like you."

"Miss Lacus and Miss Meer were on diet, unfortunately. Aisha-san said she needed a break from eating your fast food." She explained, her face returned to its fair color. However, it turned red again. "It's the same for me, too. I'm…gaining weight." Fllay grinned sheepishly.

"That explains a lot. Girls need to keep a watch on their figures." The 32 years old blond sighed, feeling sorry for all of them. "But, it's nice to see you back here. What's your order, then?"

"Three hot dogs, please; with relish." She paused for a while. "They're for those three. In case if you're curious."

"Finally, those girls wanted to eat them as they should be, eh?"

Fllay grinned from ear to ear at Mwu's comment. At that moment, she noticed someone was missing…

"Mwu-san, where's Kira?"

"He's sending his girl back home." The older man buttered the buns and put them on the grill.

"Girl? His girlfriend? He got a girlfriend?" Her eyes bulged. "I didn't know that."

"Of course, you didn't know about that. One, you never asked about it. Two, he never told you about it. Don't ask, don't tell."

"What the hell was that, Mwu-san?" The girl pouted. Mwu broke into laughter.

Just then, from a distance, a motorcycle's sound could be heard heading towards them.

"Speaking of the devil, that's Kira for you." Mwu glanced at the approaching motorcycle.

Kira parked his motorcycle nearby. As he put down his helmet, he noticed a girl in a ponytail jogged towards him. _Fllay…_

"Hey, I didn't know you have a girlfriend!" She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Kira just nodded lightly and gave a weak smile. Fllay's cheerfulness faded, seeing the brunette acted like that.

_Something bad must happened to him…_The young maid wanted to ask more but she held it back.

She just let Kira went towards the burger stall. In the meantime, Fllay realized about the new Y125Z. Mwu, Kira's boss, also noticed the younger man's gloomy look.

"What happened?" Wrinkles were on the older man's forehead.

"…" Kira just sat on one of the chairs, staring at his bike's direction.

"OK, since you don't want to talk, help me to prepare these hot dogs for that girl." Mwu instructed him while glancing at Fllay's direction. Kira lazily got up and just worked in silence. The silence made Mwu itching to dig further for the truth.

"Boy, there's definitely something wrong with you." The 32 years old blond flipped the sausages.

"Don't worry about me." He replied coldly. Meanwhile, the scarlet-haired girl rode on the new bike, pretending to be a racer herself.

"Don't lie, Kira. I can see it in your face; you have a problem."

"Leave me alone, Mwu." Kira shifted his gaze towards Fllay, who was patting his Y125Z now.

Mwu sensed that Kira was not in the mood to carry on the conversation, so he stopped there and concentrate on his work. Once he finished Fllay's orders, he called her. Immediately, the cheerful Fllay jogged towards the stall.

"3 hot dogs and that's 4 dollars and 50 cents, Miss Fllay." The blond handed the orders to her.

The crimson-haired girl beamed. "Thank you, boss!" While she handed the money to the owner of the stall, she glanced at Kira. On the other hand, the brunette simply said nothing, not even acknowledging her presence.

The blond smiled back. "Thank you. Missy, can I borrow your handphone for a while?"

"Sure." Fllay took out her handphone and gave it to Mwu.

Moments later, Mwu returned it. As Fllay received her handphone back, she noticed an unsent message on its screen. She glanced at the blond, looking confused. However, the older man just nodded, serious look on his face. So, Fllay read the message.

TALK 2 HIM. MAYBE U CN HELP. I'LL ASK HIM 2 GO WIT U

The crimson-haired girl understood what the blond guy intended her to do. After thanking Mwu for her hot dogs, she left the place, _in a slow pace_…

"Oi, Kira. Do me a favor, will ya? Go accompany that girl. Walking alone at this time is surely dangerous for a lone girl."

"It's just 11 pm, old geezer. She can manage it. She always did." Kira answered nonchalantly.

"It's customer service, stupid. Or you wanted me to cut your salary?"

"OK, OK. Enough already!" Kira promptly jogged towards Fllay.

"Hey, why don't you use your bike?" Mwu yelled. That question left unanswered.

Meanwhile, Fllay hummed a tune, pretending to be oblivious to Kira as he approached her. She faked a surprise when he called her name.

"Kira! Why are you here?"

"Nah, that stupid old man ask me to escort you. A part of stupid customer service." He frowned.

Fllay just giggled. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

They continued walking, in silence. Fllay mentally kicked herself, finding something to say with the depressed boy.

"Hey, it's nice weather tonight. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course it is, stupid."

Veins started to pop out but it quickly went back in. Fllay sighed. _No, don't get angry NOW…_

"Now I remember! Where's your bike?"

"It's nothing to do with _you_, girl." His reply was very unfriendly.

Silence again. Nevertheless, Fllay reloaded another shot, not wanting to surrender so easily.

"Hey, I bought three hot dogs today…"

"I don't give a damn about that shit! Just shut up, will ya?"

The girl with the flaming hair could not take it anymore. She grabbed his arms and led him to another street; way astray from her intended destination…

"Let go of me, bitch!" Kira broke free from her grasp.

"Be _quiet_, asshole!" Fllay immediately landed a punch on his stomach, causing the latter to fall hard on his knees.

"That will do. Now, follow me." The redhead grabbed his shirt and lifted him from the ground. She led him to a place. The walk didn't take long a time. Kira, who was still being led by Fllay, was fuming mad when he realized where she led him to.

"A playground? All you wanted to do was to bring me to this fucking playground?!"

"Wanna another salvo?" The silver-eyed girl showed her fist to him. Kira quickly gave out a polite apology to her.

"Let's sit on that see-saw!" She said happily. The brown head, however, was not thrilled at all.

"Oi, you're too old for that." He slowly followed her. "I can't believe a violent girl like you are so childish."

"Who cares? Come on, Kira!" Fllay already sat on the other side of the see-saw.

"I suggest you get off from that, girl."

"Why?" The scarlet-haired young woman looked puzzled.

"The sight of you sitting there poked my eyes out, you know."

It took Fllay several seconds to understand what Kira meant. When she understood him, it was nasty…

"YOU PERVERT!" She immediately knocked his head a number of times. "YOU SAW IT!"

"Hey, it's not my fault, OK? Why do you have to wear that skirt anyway? It's an invitation for rape, you know."

"…" The beating stopped.

Kira was shielding his head when he realized Fllay was not hitting him anymore. When he turned his head to see her, she just stood there, her radiant eyes lost its spark.

"Fllay?"

Silence…

"Hey…" Kira put his hand on her left shoulder. Suddenly, Fllay straightened herself up, startling Kira in the process.

"It's nothing!" She smiled. "Hey, I'm supposed to cheer you up, stupid!" As if nothing happened, she continued playfully pounded him.

"Let me go, redhead!" Kira was desperately trying to escape from Fllay's punches. "Now, I know! I'll get that old geezer later!"

The fiery-haired lass stopped hitting him. "You have to thank him, Kira. He was worried about you." Kira scowled when she mentioned that.

"What happened to you? You're definitely out of character today." Her voice had concern in it.

He just kept quiet. Instead, he walked towards the swing and sat on it. Fllay followed suit and sat beside him.

"Kira, I'm your friend, all right. You can share anything with Miss Fllay." She pointed at herself, grinning.

"We only met several times. You don't even know me well. Damn, even I don't know who you are, apart from the fact that you always come to our place and buy burgers or hotdogs."

"When you brought me home on your bike that night, I knew that you're a nice guy, Kira. That's why I trusted you." Fllay put a hand on his knees.

"God, I've done something nice to you for only once! You're too trusting, girl!"

"I still believe you're a nice guy, though." She gave a wide-eyed smile. "It's heartrending for me to see my friend moping around like this."

Kira was at loss on what to say when Fllay mentioned this; he just lifted his head slowly towards the sky.

"I fought with my girlfriend…over my new bike."

"Why? You wanted it SOOO bad, right?"

The older youth exhaled slowly. "Well, she didn't like it. Remember what I told you? I worked like hell for my 'baby'. I _painstakingly_ saved cold, hard cash. She did notice that and one thing was in her mind: I'm going to ask her hand in marriage. That's her reason why I'm working like a mule."

"Whoa, that was SOOO early!" Astonishment was on her face. "She's lucky…" The cherry head's eyes went into dreamy mode.

"Wait, I'm not finished yet!" The ruffled haired 20 years old signaled her to be quiet. "She's damn wrong if she thought like that. When she realized that saved money was actually for that Y125Z, well, that's when the problem started. But still, I don't know why she even got the idea of getting married."

Now, it's Fllay's turn to sigh. "Why men are all stupid?"

"I beg your pardon?" His pale purple eyes narrowed.

"That's every girls dream, stupid. To be with the man they loved. She loves you, cares about you. But, what she gets? You have dashed her dreams by feeding your ego."

The brunette clenched his hands into fists but quickly released it. _She was right…_

"Just appreciate what you have. When you lose her, well, it'll not be a pretty sight for you, right?" She stood up and gently kicked some pebbles on the ground. "You can have your bike but responsibilities to your loved ones come first. I can see that she was sincere to be with you."

Kira nodded weakly. _But, I don't want to be tied down with responsibility now…I want freedom!_

"It's time for you to escort me home, Yamato-san." Fllay flicked his forehead.

"HEY!"

However, the humming Fllay already went ahead. Grumbling to himself, the burger boy hastened his pace to catch up with the cherry head.

_**Several minutes later… **_

"Who are you anyway?!" Kira simply rooted to the ground; his mouth gaping open. The sight in front of him was simply too astounding. One huge mansion, surrounded with high walls and one enormous gate, to boot!

Fllay laughed heartily at Kira's amazed look. "This is my employer's house, silly. I worked and lived here."

"I thought your house was near to that junction! You asked me to stop there LAST MONTH!" He pointed at the mentioned place, not too far from Clyne's mansion. The girl laughed again and again.

Suddenly, Kira's face turned serious. "Fllay, you said you worked here and as what?"

"I'm a maid." She replied with a friendly smile.

"A maid?!" Kira's eyes protruded out.

Puzzled look on her fair face.

"You're not an ordinary maid! A normal one won't have those damn good punches!"

The 19 years old maid laughed again. "I think you watched too much anime, Kira. I'm just an ordinary maid, not former special ops who worked as a maid."

Just then, the main gate opened, as if it knew that Fllay was at the vicinity. A watchman stepped out and pointed a flashlight towards both of them.

"Fllay, I knew it was you!" The blond guard with cerulean eyes exclaimed. At that moment, he noticed someone was standing beside her. He smirked. "Is that your boyfriend? That was fast, Fllay. Clyne-sama just moved here in less than two months and you already got yourself a man!"

The so-called 'boyfriend' eyes bulged. On the other hand, the crimson-haired woman maintained her cool.

"Kira's just a friend, Azrael-san." She glanced at the brown head next to her. "He is from the burger stall, not far from here."

Muruta chuckled and went back inside. Then, Fllay turned towards Kira and bid him goodbye.

"Well, it's time for me to go inside. Thanks for the customer service, burger boy."

"It's my pleasure." He smiled warmly.

"Hey, I never see you smiled to me before. You always scowled in front of me." The cherry head jokingly commented.

Kira laughed a bit. "Come on, I'm a human, too." Then, he coughed, to clear his throat.

"Thanks for today. I appreciate it." The tousled haired youth extended his right hand towards her.

"That's what friends are for, silly." She joined her hands with his, in a handshake. "Good night, Kira. Be nice to your girlfriend. Make peace with her, all right." She stepped inside the gate but went out again.

"By the way, Kira, I love you."

"W…What did you s…say?!"

"As a friend, silly." She knocked his head lightly. "I never had a friend like you." Then she pinched his left cheek.

Kira felt like a little kid when Fllay did that. He groaned in annoyance.

"Remember what I said, punk." She smiled. After that, the red-haired maid went inside. The huge gate slowly closed in.

"Easier said than done, I suppose." He felt like carrying an elephant in his chest. However, something bothered him.

"Did she say punk just now?" Kira's temple furrowed.

_Just appreciate what you have. When you lose her, well, it'll not be a pretty sight for you, right?_

The youth, who was deep in thoughts, left the place and went back towards the burger stall.

* * *

Glossary: 

Yamaha Y125Z - a 125 cc underbone motorcycle produced by Yamaha. (Well, underbones are a class of small motorcycles. Some people called it mopeds.)

A/N: People, please read & review. As usual, criticisms are allowed, I mean it. I NEED REVIEWS TO GET GOING! Or else I won't get inspired to write. :) Sorry for any errors or mistakes. But, I'll strive to better myself.


	5. Surprises, surprises

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By hikari luv shirayuki

_**Disclaimer: Gundam SEED and Chevrolet Camaro are not mine. I repeat, not mine…**_

* * *

A/N: Here you go, Ch.5! Thanks to those who have read and reviewed. So, sit back, relax and enjoy reading this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 5: Surprises, surprises 

"Sis, I'm going out!" Meyrin yelled as she done her hair in high pigtails. She hurriedly picked up her sandals and she stood up…

"Meyrin, you forgot…" Even her sister was dazed by the sight. "…you forgot your handphone."

"What? Is there something funny with my face?" The dark blue haired man joked.

_**Somewhere, in Heliopolis…**_

Fllay just returned from the mall when the 19 years old was startled by a car honk behind her.

"Hey, that looks like very heavy to me! Hop in!" A brunette yelled at her as he pointed at her groceries. Then, he emerged from the old Camaro.

Instinctively, the crimson-haired maid tightened her grip on her brown shopping bags. _Red alert! Never ride with Kira!_

"Thanks, Kira. But, I can't go with you." Fllay replied nervously, her face paled. "I can manage on my own."

However, the tousled haired man ignored her polite refusal. He took her groceries and put it in the back seat.

"Hey, why are you doing that?" She yelled but Kira swore she was more frightened than angry at that time.

"I knew you're afraid riding with me, right? Chill, girl. This time, I'll drive _slowly_ and _carefully_. No more being reckless." He soothed her.

"But…but," Fllay protested but she was cut short when Kira shoved her into the passenger's seat.

"See, nothing will harm you." Kira entered into the Camaro. When he started the engine, the distressed lass timidly gave out two requests; asking him to open the windows and to turn off the AC.

Kira's forehead wrinkled. "Are you nuts? It's unbelievably hot out there and in here! Now you asked me to turn off the AC?" He put the car in gear and it inched forward with a groan.

"Please, Kira. I beg you." Fllay pleaded. Her efforts were in vain, though. Kira ignored the woman beside him. He just looked ahead, concentrating on his driving.

"Buckle up, Fllay. Just be quiet. Relax and enjoy the ride." Kira smiling eyes were still on the road.

_**Again, somewhere in Heliopolis, in a cafe…**_

"How come you are here, Athrun?" Meyrin inquired, looking not-so happy.

"Why, I'm searching for you, Mey." The blue-haired and green-eyed man cocked an eyebrow. "I just can't forget my girl…" He extended a hand towards hers.

"We are _officially _over, Athrun." The disgusted redhead hastily retracted her right hand. "I already have a new one." She grabbed her orange juice and sipped it hurriedly.

"Slow down, girl. You'll get choked." Athrun grabbed his own refreshment.

"Who cares?" Meyrin continued her sips. Then, she coughed uncontrollably.

"See, what I have told you?" He shook his head as he handed her tissues.

_**Well, back to the Camaro…**_

"What now, bitch? We are not there yet!" Kira was irritated because Fllay incessantly asked him to stop.

"I…I…"

"What is it?!"

His question was answered with Fllay vomiting onto the seat. Some of her puke landed on the dashboard. Now, the cringing Kira understood why she badly needed to stop and why she feared to ride with him on the first place…

"Mwu's gonna kill me for this…" He struck his forehead. "Fllay, listen. I can't send you back to Clyne's mansion with you looking like this. We're going to my place."

Fllay nodded weakly. She puked again.

_**Several minutes later…**_

"Here we are; my house." Kira grinned while helping the already-weakened Fllay to enter his home. But, Fllay didn't share his cheerfulness. She puked again, this time on his shirt and on the floor.

"Goddamn, Fllay! That's enough! Sheesh, I never came across with people who have that ridiculously severe car sickness like you!" Fllay slumped into his chest. Kira couldn't afford to be in cloud 9, though. Her smell was awful…

"Cagalli! Hey, Cagalli! Where are you?!"

Only a hum from the aquarium answered him Grumbling, Kira brought Fllay to the couch and laid her there.

"Don't puke on that, OK?" He warned her. "Damn it, Cagalli! Where is my bitchy sister when I need her?!" At the same time, he looked at sickly Fllay.

_Guess that I have to clean up the mess myself…_

First, he went to the bathroom and rinsed his shirt with water before chucking it into the washing machine. _Goddamn, what a stench! _Then, he went to the kitchen and searched for any rags. He did found one and promptly wet it.

The youth swiftly went towards Fllay and immediately wiped her mouth, her face and her clothes. Still, her maid uniform was damn dirty and smell like shit that Kira decided to take it off and washed it.

_Wait a minute...I can be charged for molestation for this!_

"Fllay, Fllay, can you hear me?" He slapped her cheek lightly.

The fiery-red haired maid came about but still feeling dazed. "What happened…? Wha-what? Where am I?"

"Listen, you have a _damn severe_ motion sickness and you just _puked_ on _Mwu's car_, _my shirt_ and _my floor_! Now, you smell like _shit_ because you even _puked_ on your _uniform_! I need your permission to wash your clothes. I just can't send you back with you smelling like a trashcan!"

The fiery red-haired girl nodded weakly.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes…" she replied in a haggard voice. "But…if you tried to do anything funny…" She showed her right fist towards the chocolate-haired man's face.

"I got it, I got it!" Slowly, he raised Fllay into sitting position and slowly unzipped her dress.

_God, why are my stupid hands trembling?!_

He left the zip opened, revealing Fllay's back.

"Kira…?" A weak voice called him.

"Just stay there for a minute. I'm going to take a towel. A damn big towel!"

The cherry head lay down on the couch again. She could not stand it. Her head was spinning and pulsing.

"Stupid…Kira…" She murmured weakly.

Just then, the sweating Kira returned with a _big _yellow towel. More like a blanket, though. First, he draped it on top half-conscious Fllay. Now, he can breathe easier. _This time, I won't get horny…_

His next move was to take off Fllay's uniform. He slid his hands under the blanket and tugged her skirt. It got stuck. _Shit. _FrustratedKira slid his hand further in. However, he can't find the solution to his problem. Instead, he groped here and there.

"KI…RA…" Fllay raised her head a bit, gave him a deathly glare.

"Shit, this is freakin' useless!" He fumed and immediately tore away the annoying blanket. However, he regretted throwing away that blanket. At this time, Fllay was quite a sight to see; very hot yet sickly. The burger boy was torn now.

"I'm sorry, Fllay. We only met for a few weeks ago and now we already come to this." He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat. His breathing became heavy.

Fear gripped the young maid as she realized what will happen to her next. She tried to get up and run but her body was reluctant to move. "Kira, please…don't do this!" She weakly pushed Kira's naked chest but to no avail. He continued approaching her.

"As I said earlier, SORRY…" Kira pinned her down. Fllay tried to scream but instead a feeble croak came out.

_Why must I deserve this?! _Tears formed in Fllay's eyes. _God, why are you forsaking me?_

Fllay gave out a tiny gasp as Kira pulled down her uniform, leaving her in a _very _compromising situation. She could not resist, her body was too weak. All she could do was to shut tight her eyes…

Just then, she felt something warm covered her. It was the yellow blanket!

"What…?"

"'What' what?" Kira stood beside her, her dirty uniform in his hands.

"I _thought_ you want to…" Then, the 19 years old weakly shook her head. "Well, never mind. Kira…go, wash that uniform now…"

"Damn it, bitch!" He snapped. "What am I? A coolie?"

"No, you're…a maid's servant." She replied with a weak smile.

Kira rolled his eyes and left her there on the couch. He chucked her uniform inside the washing machine, put in some detergent and let it roll.

_What a day…_The brunette breathe deeply.

Then, he returned towards the living room. Fllay still looked bad, though. He sat beside her and wiped her face again.

"Kira?" Her eyes fluttered open.

"Shhh…I'm wiping you face."

Her cheeks gave out a deep shade of pink. "Sorry…I made a mess to your car…"

"It's Mwu's." Kira cut her off.

"Oh…" Small gasp escaped her tiny lips.

"Damn it woman," His head shook. "That's the severest car sickness in the whole world!"

Fllay gave a tiny grin. "I asked you to open the windows because I can't stand…the odor given out by the AC. I prefer fresh air when I ride in a car."

Kira just rolled his eyes in disbelieve.

"That's fucking stupid, I'd say," He pinched her nose. "Have some rest. I'll send you back later."

As he got up, a hand grabbed his left hand from behind. It was Fllay's.

"Thank you…Sorry, for being a burden for you."

The man smirked and kneeled beside her. "Hey, don't talk too much." He stroked her fiery hair as if she was a cat. Fllay purred lightly and suddenly, tugged him close towards her.

Her reaction took him aback. "F…Fllay?" Kira stammered as the woman with the flaming hair hugged him.

"I like it when you stroked me like that…" Then, reason came back to her brain. "Sorry, I got carried away…" She avoided his eyes; both cheeks were in deep red.

"…"

Finally, the brunette broke the silence. "Rest, Fllay." Kira slowly got up. "I'm going to the kitchen."

Fllay watched Kira's back as he went away. She felt warm. It was not because of the thick blanket, though.

_**The Hawke Sisters house…**_

"What happened?" Lunamaria rushed towards her pouting younger sister, who just came back from her outing.

"Nothing much, he just brought me out for a drink." Meyrin replied monotonously.

"That Athrun, he's ruining my trip to Kira's house! Now, I'm not in the mood to meet my honey!"

"Hey, I think he still loves you, Mey." Luna joked while following her sister, who went towards the couch and sat on it. "He even came here! All the way from Junius City!"

"That's not funny, sis…" She hissed. "Who told him that I am here?" The redhead shot a fierce glare at her older sister.

"I'm innocent!" The purple head waved her hands furiously.

Meyrin hugged her legs and gazed forlornly towards the TV set. Luna, noticed her sad look, slowly moved towards her younger sibling.

"Mey, what's the matter?" She stroked her sister's head.

"Now, I got two stupid guys in my life. My ex wants me back, my current one…he's so-so. But, I love Kira, sis. What should I do? What should I do now?"

Luna can't answer that question.

_**Clyne's mansion, at night…**_

"Master! Master!" Aisha's frantic voice rang throughout the hall, searching for Siegel Clyne himself.

"Stop that hullabaloo, Aisha! Can't you see I'm reading?" Annoyed look was upon Siegel's face as he let dark blue-haired woman into the study room. However, he softened his expression as he saw the deathly pale face of the head maid.

"Fllay hasn't returned from her shopping, Clyne-sama!" Panic was in her voice.

"Calm down, Aisha. All right, at what time she went out for shopping?" The gentleman inquired calmly.

"It's 10 in the morning. I asked her to buy some groceries." Her body trembled; her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Now, it's 10 pm." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "She's out for 12 hours. Obviously, that's too long for buying groceries."

"What should we do? What should we do, Clyne-sama?" Her sobs turned into a wail. "It's my fault! I should have gone out instead of her!" Now her hands clasped to her distressed face.

Siegel went towards the long haired woman and held both of her hands. "Aisha, it's not your fault. Nobody blame you."

"But…" Siegel cut her off. The Scandinavian man's finger was on her lips.

"We can't do anything but to wait and pray for her safety. We can't even lodge a report to the police because she went missing for less than 24 hours." His large hands wiped off the tears from Aisha's fair face. Then, he brought her close towards his broad chest.

"I'll alert Muruta and Andrew…no, all men in this house to search for Fllay later. We will search for her together." Her long, azure hair was being stroked by the middle-aged man.

"Tears are not befitting you, Aisha. Don't worry, we will find a way…"

"Clyne-sama…" Aisha's cheeks were flushed.

_**At the same time…**_

"OH, SHIT!" Fllay's shriek awakened Kira from his nap on the dining table. Completely pissed off, he stormed out from the kitchen and went towards the living room to give her a slap or two. But, when he saw the woman who just disturbed his little beauty sleep, he just froze there.

"Kira, now it is 10 pm! I need to go back now! Master must be worried sick right now!" The horrified Fllay paced to and fro in Kira's living room.

Just then, Kira broke of from his stupor. "PUT ON THAT BLANKET, STUPID!" His face was heavily flushed by anger and embarrassment.

Kira's yell stopped Fllay from her frantic pacing. "Sorry…" She said timidly while quickly covering herself with the big, yellow blanket.

At that moment, wave of realization hit Kira, _hard_. "God, I'm so dumb! I should have asked you to wear my sister's clothes and sent you back!" Kira struck his forehead again.

"Then, where is it?" Hope radiated from the young maid's face.

Kira quickly went to his sister's room. To his dismay, it was locked.

"Fuck! Only she has the key! CAGALLI, I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" Kira yelled at the top of his lungs. The poor door received several salvos from the enraged brunette.

"Good lord, you're so loud, Kira! I can even hear you from the street down there!" A blond girl emerged from the front door and closed it. When she lifted her head to scold Kira…

"WTF???"

_**Few days later…**_

"Hey, why is my Camaro's inside smell like shit? Did someone puked in it?" Mwu asked with his nose wrinkled.

Kira had no idea whatsoever to answer that question.

* * *

Glossary: 

Chevrolet Camaro – a 'pony car' made in North America by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors. In this story, Mwu owned the 1st gen. Camaro.

A/N: Why Camaro? Easy; the inspiration came when I watched the old Green Day MV 'Walking Contradiction', where they wrecked a lot of Camaros in that MV alone. Please R&R! Give out your comments on this chapter, pretty please? Thank you and I'm signing off!


	6. A Day to Remember

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By: hikari luv shirayuki

_**Disclaimer: Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED is not mine. Yada yada yada.**_

* * *

A/N: I hate it when exams are just around the corner. They kill off my creative impulses. Well, thanks to all who reviewed, especially to GoddessIrui (thanks for reviewing every chapter!!), and to those who didn't... what are you waiting for?? Anyway, thanks for reading!! Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to put your comments!

* * *

Chapter 6: A Day to Remember

"So you're the one, eh?" Blue eyes bored into the frightened silver.

Fllay felt small in front of the tough looking yellow-haired man, waiting for his wrath to be unleashed. "Umm…sorry?" She grinned sheepishly.

Tried as he might, the blond could not maintain the facade. Instead of being angry, he burst into one thunderous laugh.

"_Relax_, Missy. You're not at fault. It was his." He glanced towards the scowling Kira.

"HEY, SHE WAS THE ONE WHO DIRTIED YOUR BELOVED CAMARO, GORILLA!"

"While _you _were the one who _failed_ to clean it thoroughly, mind you." Mwu sneered. Kira's face drooped in defeat. Then, the blond turned towards Fllay again. "I asked him to clean it for the whole night."

"But still, Mwu-san, I was the one…"

"Relax. Now, that's enough." He went back to his stall. "OK, let's get back to business."

"What business?" The scarlet-haired girl wrinkled a brow.

"Can I take your orders, Missy?" Mwu put up his ever-bright smile.

"Oh…" Red was all over her face.

"Fllay, can I have a word with you for a while?" The brown headed youth gestured at the girl.

The redhead looked towards him after receiving her finished order from Mwu. "Sure, what is it?"

Kira took her hand and led her away from the stall. After he was satisfied with the distance, he finally stopped.

"Well…I never had the chance to thank you properly for your help last time." _My attempt to help her ended in her being carsick…_

The maid laughed nervously. _This won't be good. _"Thanks Kira but that's what friends are for, right? You don't have to burden yourself."

"I want to, Fllay." He paused for a thought. "Hey, how about we go out together? It will be my treat!"

Her eyebrows twitched. Young woman around her age should have screaming excitedly by now but instead she gave a puzzled look.

"Umm…let see, tomorrow, at evening? Moreover, it's weekend the next day." Kira added happily.

"Okay…" Fllay could feel heat rising up through her neck and to her cheeks. "Is it…is it a date?" She asked nervously.

Without warning, Kira stroked her head. "Why do you think like that? It's not like we are lovers or something." Just then, the brown head noticed it. "Hey, are you sick? You looked so…_red_."

The redhead quickly sported a weak grin. "Kira…please stop stroking my head like that." The young man immediately withdrew his hand, looking confused. "Maybe I was born as a cat in the previous life." She said as she straightened herself up.

"_What_ are you talking about?"

"Just forget it, punk. I'll see you tomorrow, OK?" Her brightest smile was on her face.

Kira didn't have the slightest idea what happened to her.

* * *

_**The next day, in evening…**_

_Shit…_

"Hey, you barely touch your chocolate sundae. Don't waste it."

_I should have asked Aisha-san about this…_

"Fllay?" No reply. The girl with a simple black dress remained lost in her world.

_I never go out with a guy before!_

"Earth to Fllay, do you copy?" The boyish looking man tapped on the table. Finally, Fllay emerged from the dark side of the moon.

"Oh…sorry! I spaced out…" She immediately wolfed down her sundae, down to the last drop. However, the 'golden rule' was _forgotten_.

"AH, MY HEAD HURTS!"

"Girl, slow down." Kira sweatdropped. "No one will take that from you."

"It hurts…" She continued her whining. Her head dropped on the table with a thud, attracting others' attention.

All the whispering from them gave the 20 years old the creeps. He immediately put the tab on the table and grabbed Fllay's hand. They finally left for good.

"Where are you taking me, Kira?"

"You're embarrassing me, girl! Sheesh…Now, we have to go out from there!" He told her in exasperation and led her to his bike.

"Sorry…I…I become a burden to you again…" Sadness was evident in her voice.

Kira stopped beside his Y125Z, spun around to meet the crimson-haired lass and drew a deep breath. "You're not acting like usual, Fllay." Slowly, the chocolate-haired young man released the maid's hand. "What's your malfunction?"

She fiddled with her fingers. The question left unanswered.

"You're definitely out of character today, girl." He donned the helmet on her. "All right, then. Hop on. I'll take you to a place."

The diminutive-looking Fllay just nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Do you like staying here?" The woman with waist-length hair brushed her bangs asked while sitting beside the tousled hair man.

"Yeah, doing nothing is simply heaven." Kira picked a small pebble and threw it into the river.

Fllay grinned. "What a strange punk. Aren't you feeling alone staying under a bridge? I thought you like to hang around with your friends."

"I like being alone and staring at the sky rather than being with people that I don't like just to kill my loneliness."

Her smile faltered. "You do have friends, right?"

"Yeah, but sometimes every man need to have their time alone."

"Huh, you're acting macho…" She immediately pulled both of his cheeks, hard.

"HEY! WHAFF ARF FYUU DUVING?!"

"Nothing…" Then, she released her hands and smacked both of his cheeks instead. Fllay laughed her heart out seeing Kira grimaced in pain. His cheeks were now red and nice to look at.

"…"

Her laugh gradually faded. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Finally, you've become yourself." A tiny smile was on his lips.

Blush. Silver eyes quickly darted off to see something random.

"Fllay, look at me." Now, his face became serious. "Did something bother you?"

Unfortunately, the redhead reverted back to her previous state. This prompted Kira to edge closer to her.

"Kira?" Uneasiness set in.

"Sorry…" Kira backed off a little. "But still, you're acting strange. It seems like you are afraid of me!"

The girl with a simple pony-tail was hesitant to answer. After Kira moved towards her again only then she blurt out her feelings. "I…I never go out for a date before…"

He smacked his forehead, utterly in the state of disbelief. "For Pete's sake, Fllay! It's not a date! Remember?"

"Sorry…I got so nervous, Kira."

The brown head realized something. His amethyst eyes turned into mere slits.

"You never have a boyfriend, haven't you? I am your first, right?"

Fllay's eyes turned saucer-like. "B…boyfriend???" She stammered.

"What I meant is a male friend, silly. Not a lover."

"Oh…" Sheepish grin came out. "I never had a close male friend before…Yes; you're the first one, Kira." She swallowed hard in her throat. "Sometimes, being together with a male all by myself is unnerving for me."

"Why?"

With a smile, she put a finger on his lips. After that, she lay down on the lush grass and stared at the blue sky. Kira agreed not to pursue the question further so he decided to follow Fllay's suit and silently looked at the sky. White clouds went fleeting by on the blue sky.

Suddenly, he felt a small hand on his.

"Thank you, Kira…I appreciate what you did." She got up and put herself in a sitting position. "I just don't want to be a problem to you. But, honestly I felt moved when you invited me for a treat." Suddenly, her face turned gloomy. "Did I waste your time today?"

Kira sported a friendly smile. "You don't have to worry, Fllay. You already have that chocolate sundae in your stomach although you didn't take the time to enjoy it."

The crimson-haired young woman's face turned into a deep shade of red.

"I had repaid you, Miss Fllay." Amethyst stared at the silver. However, it quickly shifted to the girl's hand.

"Yours felt so rough…"

That comment earned him a number of good punches from the owner of the hand.

"Of course it is rough, stupid! I am a maid, not a model!"

"OK, OK! Enough already!" He shouted while escaping from her wrath. The redhead followed him closely behind. It's more like a hen chasing a rooster.

Abruptly, Kira stopped. Fllay unable to halt at time, she collided with his back head on.

"Why are you stopping, pig?!" She rubbed her throbbing forehead.

"Hey, come with me." The tousled-haired man extended his hand to help the girl.

Perplexed look was on her fair face…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Your house? Why?" Fllay handed Kira her helmet as she got off from his bike.

"Just get in, redhead." The brunette parked the Y125Z and promptly headed to his home's front door and disappeared into the house.

_Talking about strangeness…_The fiery red-haired girl thought. Anyway, she entered the house and made herself comfortable on one of the couch. It was the one where she laid on a few days before when she had the terrible motion sickness. Fllay sighed; Kira was nowhere to be found. Only the hum of the fish aquarium was heard…

She noticed one queer-looking magazine on the floor. In no time, she looked at it, comfortably lying on the floor.

"Fllay, where are you?" Kira emerged from his room. Suddenly, he froze.

"Hey, what's _this_?" The girl waving the material she just read. Naturally, a man should turn red when a girl discovered his _little dirty secret_.

"Gimme that, bitch!" He quickly snatched it from her hand and flung it towards the kitchen's direction.

"Whoa, you don't love that magazine anymore, ne Kira?" Her face turned minx-like, smiling mischievously.

_Shit…_He hurriedly went inside the kitchen. Fllay rolled on the floor, laughing, when she saw Kira's paled face. Minutes later, he returned towards Fllay, face still beet-red.

"Relax, boy." She already sat on the floor, still in good spirits. "I'm open."

Kira was speechless. Looking very flustered, he just seated himself in front of her.

"What's that, Kira?" The cherry head pointed at the bottle in his hand.

"It's a hand lotion. Give me your hands."

Fllay just obeyed what he said with imaginary question marks floated on her head. She watched Kira with great interest as he applied the lotion on her left hand. Then, he tenderly massaged it.

"My mother always did this when I was small…" She said longingly.

"I see…" Kira moved on to her next hand. "You missed her?"

"She's deceased…my father, too…" Fllay replied monotonously but Kira could hear a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I'm sorry about that."

_His hands…I can feel their warmth…_

First, there were pools of unshed tears. Then, a steady stream of water came out from her eyes.

Kira noticed it, too. He stopped whatever thing he did. Concentration wasn't there anymore.

He didn't know how to react to the human drama in front of him; that brunette didn't like to see girls cry…especially if she was close to him. Droplets of tears continue to flow freely as Fllay vigorously tried to wipe it off from her face.

"Strange ne, Kira-kun…The tears just come out non-stop…." The tear-stricken girl tried to shape her quivering lips into a smile. Instead, it made her tears flowed faster.

The brunette understood her anguish; he went through it, too. _Poor thing…_

Two pair of arms embraced Fllay's frail body; comforting her, consoling her.

The cherry head initially shocked by Kira's sudden move. "I'm gonna…kick yer ass…Kira."

But, she welcomed him nevertheless. Fllay slowly moved her arms around him and firmly hugged him back. Finally, the dam burst.

She cried and wailed. Between her sobs, the girl called out her "Mama" and "Papa" repeatedly. Kira bit hard on his lips, trying to hold off his own tears. He gently rocked her and at the same time, stroking her crimson-colored hair. Kira didn't care about his chest getting wet. All that matters now was to kill her sorrow…

Moments later, after the tears subsided, Fllay spoke, albeit with a little difficulty…

"Sorry, Kira…" The distressed girl hiccupped. "I lost myself just now…" She broke her hug and distanced herself from Kira.

However, the boyish looking man pulled her back. "No, it's okay…" He wiped off her remaining tears with both his thumb. The scarlet head's eyes were puffy and full with bloodshot. "I lost both of my parents, too…You're not alone, Fllay…I am here, don't fear."

The young maid's sight became misty. She instinctively hugged him again; her face buried deep in his chest. Another round of sobs escaped from her lips.

"Girl, it is okay to cry…" Kira hugged her tight. "Just let your heart out. Don't pent-up your feelings." Rose scent emanated from her hair and body, giving him bitter-sweet sensation in his heart.

After a couple of minutes, tears all dried up, the fiery-headed girl finally calmed down. The male youth brushed his hand against the side of her face and kissed her forehead, concerned look on his face.

"You're a kind man, Kira…" Her tiny lips curled into a small smile. "But, I feel guilty towards your lover."

"She won't mind. I just can't let my close friend feel down. God, it is heartrending for me to see your sad face!"

Fllay nodded twice. "That's why your lover loved you. You are caring…" Unexpectedly, she moved closer to him and went towards his right cheek. The redhead planted a kiss there. Kira instantly transported to the seventh heaven, complete with wings and a halo.

"Thanks, Kira. My best boyfriend, ever." She whispered this as she withdrew from him.

"…" But, he managed to give her a bright smile. That was his brightest ever. Fllay smiled back and glanced at her watch.

Kira understood her cue. He got up, brushed his clothes and raised Fllay up with both of his strong arm. "Come, it is time for you to go home."

* * *

"Thanks for today, Kira." She grinned while handed her helmet. "It was quite fun."

The brunette lightly stroked her head. The young maiden's face became cat-like again. "It's my pleasure, girl." Right after the pampering, he extended a hand to receive the helmet from her. "Please come to our burger stall. The place will be quiet without you around, Fllay."

"I will." This time, she patted his head, completely encased in the helmet. "Goodbye and have a safe journey home."

"OK." He waved at her and then went off, leaving the still-waving girl behind.

_A day to remember, eh Kira? _The brunette noted to himself. The odometer reached 100 km/h.


	7. Prelude

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By: hikari luv shirayuki

_**Public service message: Street racing is illegal, guys. What I meant by 'guys' here encompasses male and female would-be readers. Don't believe me? Check your dictionary. **_

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed, Honda CBR600RR, Honda Y125Z and Ducati 1098 are not my mine. They're owned by somebody in some big corporation. I'm lazy to list them down.**_

* * *

Chapter 7: Prelude

Kira put down his helmet in anger. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Smile when you say that, bro." Muffled voice passed through the dark blue with black stripes helmet. "Just a passerby, if you wanted to know." The opposing rider took off his helmet, revealing a silver neck-length hair and a mocking smile.

"Motherfucker…" Kira rushed towards him but was stopped by a number of hands. "Let go of me!"

"Kira, that's enough!" Dearka reprimanded the brunette. "You can let him go, boys." At the same time, he shot a glare towards the slender silver head. "Come on, Kira. Cool off." The tanned man led the fuming chocolate head away.

"Did something wrong, have I?" That guy with the bobbed hair sneered audibly, making sure they were hearing him. _Stupid amateurs…_

* * *

"Athrun, why are you here? How did you know this place?" Meyrin asked in low tone while glancing towards her left and right.

"Answer for question number one; for fun, Mey. Answer for question two; well, someone told me. So, this is the place where you hang out, hmm?" Athrun looked across the surroundings. The place was deafeningly noisy with loud music, people and motorcycle's sounds.

When he finally settled his gaze on the young woman, he heaved a deep breath. Meyrin looked absolutely distressed.

"OK, fine. My presence is unwelcome." He scowled. "But I want to meet you, tomorrow. No objections." The man with navy hair stroked Meyrin's hair. Immediately, the girl went red.

"I'll wait…I'll wait for you at my home. Evening is okay…with me." She stammered.

Athrun Zala simply smiled at the blushing crimson-haired girl. "Goodbye." He donned his helmet, eased into the seat and started off his Ten-Ninety-Eight.

_Athrun…_Meyrin sadly watched her ex until he disappeared from her sight. Guilt, loneliness, everything was embroiled in her mind. Then, she slowly walked off towards her group, where _Kira _was…

* * *

The man with the silver hair was enjoying his vodka while chatting with some babes when someone tapped his shoulder.

"Gotta leave now, Yzak."

"You're a party pooper, Athrun. Can't you see I'm _enjoying _something here?"

"I can see _that._Don't argue with me. Just move."

Yzak snorted. He bid goodbyes to his babes, then, he went towards his Honda CBR600RR and promptly left the scene.

* * *

"I could've won if not for that bastard!" Kira crumpled the beer can that he just gulped down. "You saw it, right D?"

The blond nodded lightly. "That guy came out from nowhere and overtook you. He's not even in the race earlier." He paused. "Don't think too much about him, Kira. Let him be."

"Yeah, _right_. He got a _crotch rocket_. I'm just a moped rider!" The brunette angrily flung the crumpled can. It narrowly missed Meyrin, who approached the two from behind, by mere inches.

"Kira! You could've hit me!" Her purple eyes bulged.

"So what? Just keep quiet, will ya?"

Meyrin didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that her man was in a very foul mood. Instinctively, she embraced him, hoping that her touch could cool him off.

"Hey, get off me! Who told you to hug me, bitch?" Kira rudely shook her off.

"Kira, you're already drunk! Don't let it off on her!" Dearka tried to pacify him when he saw Meyrin's hurt look. Instead, the blond was given a fierce glare by his own friend.

"You bitch; you said you don't like my bike, right?" The drunken brown head pushed her. However, she remained defiant.

"Yes, I don't like it." The crimson-haired woman told him squarely at the face. "It changed you, Kira! You're not like this before!" Now, she yelled at him. "You're neglecting me!"

Her bold answer earned her a hard slap. Meyrin could feel her left cheek was pulsating from the pain.

"You spoke too much, Mey…" The lion trembled with anger.

"You're not my Kira!" She slapped him back. "My Kira was a kind man! He won't do anything like this!"

"Why you impudent little…"

"Kira, that's enough!" Dearka quickly restrained him from behind. "You're going too far!"

"I hate you, Kira Yamato…" It was final. She was leaving.

"I don't give a damn about you!" Kira yelled back at her, still struggling.

_**Evening, on the following day; Hawke Sister's home…**_

"Ready to go?" Athrun handed Meyrin a black helmet.

She just nodded and slowly donned it. Together, they went off to a place…

* * *

It didn't take them a long time to reach there. When Meyrin got off from Athrun's Ducati, she looked perplexed.

"Why off all places, you brought me here?"

"Why, you don't like waterfalls?"

"Not exactly like that…" She walked towards a big boulder and sat on top of it. Sounds of water were everywhere. Athrun put down his red helmet and followed to her direction. He noticed she was spacing out.

"Have you considered my offer last week?"

The redhead's face met his. A frown was there.

"I've told you, Athrun. I'm not available. Forget about me. Just move on, we're over." Images of Kira and her together flashed through her head.

The azure head placed a hand on her lap. His other hand played her dark red hair.

"I just can't let you go. Forgive me for my past mistakes, Mey. I'm a new man right now."

"…" The moment of Kira hitting her kept playing on Meyrin's mind.

"Then, if you don't want me back, why are you not objecting to my moves now?" He kept on playing her hair.

"I was planning to…"

"Then, how about this…"Athrun's hands on her flushing cheek, bringing her closer…

_**Several days later…**_

"_You're not sincere enough, Yamato-san. You will keep hurting me again even after you apologized."_

Kira was getting frustrated. "Mey, I really mean it! Man, that night I was a little crazy, you know. I'm so sorry, dear."

Meyrin sneered at the end of the line. _"Only now you apologized to me. Hey, it has been 4 days, Kira. 4 DAYS! I waited and waited but it seems that you didn't care at all. I'm tired of this."_

"Mey, I…" The line was cut. Kira was furious.

"Mey, you wanted me to have a word or two with him?" Lunamaria turned off the TV set.

"There's no need for that, sis. I'm tired of him doing this to me." Meyrin put down her handphone.

"Maybe some scolding from me will help." The purple haired lass turned her attention towards her little sister.

"That won't do. Remember when I got a row with him over his new bike? He didn't even say sorry or soothed me on the spot! He just stood there, like an idiot. Only in the next morning he gave out a tearful apology!"

"At least you forgive him. You _did_."

The redhead sighed. "Now, he hit me and only on the fourth day he dragged himself for an apology!"

"I've to agree that's SOOO irresponsible of him. Anyone who bullied my sister will get a nice beating from me." Luna jumped on her younger sibling. The latter shrieked.

"But, sis, he changed a lot."

"Would you care to enlighten your big sister?"

"You see, since he bought his new Y125Z, Kira changed a lot. Well, I was not angry anymore about the purchase." Then, her cheeks went red. "I've to admit that I'm a bit too rushed about marriage with him."

The older sibling listened attentively.

"Lately, he was neglecting me. When he hit me that night, I just can't stand it anymore. He's not my old Kira."

A pair of arms embraced Meyrin. "You see, Mey, people do change. So do Kira. But he hitting you is simply too much a change. He never did that before."

"I still love Kira, sis." Sadness was evident in her voice. "But, it hurts when he neglected me. I just wanted him to be responsible since both of us have gone that _far_."

Luna gently rocked her.

* * *

"Shopping, shopping. I love shopping." Fllay said in a sing-song manner as she walked down the pavement. She was on her way returning to Clyne's mansion.

There were a lot of people walking around, both passing from behind and in front of the petite maid. At that moment, she swore she just saw someone so familiar. Her heart jumped with joy when she knew who it was.

"Kira! Kira!" She shouted, hoping to get the brown head's attention. He didn't. He just walked ahead.

"Why, you stupid…" Fllay hastened her pace, hoping to catch up with him. But, she slowed down afterwards. Something was not right…

_He looked so down…_Feeling curious, the young woman with red colored hair decided to follow him.

The maid ignored the cloudy sky…

_**Few minutes later…**_

"He went back to his home?!" Fllay struck her forehead as she watched Kira entered into the house. "I wasted my time following him for _nothing_!"

Just then, an idea popped out. _Maybe I can be useful…_

Fllay waited for ten minutes before entering Kira's house. Then, the maid knocked at the door. No answer. She knocked twice and once again; no answer, not even a sound.

"That's strange." Fllay entered anyway. "Kira? Where are you?"

The living room was empty. The familiar hum of the aquarium was the only sound that can be heard. Feeling a little scared, Fllay ventured further in.

"Kira? Hey, answer me-AAAH!" Two hands on her head; threatening to crush it.

She quickly pivoted her body to meet the 'monster'. Lo and behold, Kira it was who stood behind her, with _only_ a towel covered his lower body. _God, why I have to see this?! _With instinct, she immediately covered her eyes.

"What are _you_ doing here?" The young man scowled. His hair was wet. Water trickled down his naked chest.

"Uh, I just…happen to pass by." She stammered while peering through one of her fingers.

"You're _lying_, Fllay." Kira snorted and he went inside his own room. _Now_, she could breathe easily. Feeling a little anemic, Fllay seated herself on the couch and waited for him to come out.

"Tell me, why are you here?" The youth came out from his room. Now, Kira was clad in simple t-shirt and shorts.

The redhead cleared her throat. "Actually, I saw you down the street. I called you but you didn't hear me." Then, she played with her fingers. "You looked dejected so I decided to follow you…"

"That's stupid." Kira, still wearing his Toltec mask, seated himself opposite of Fllay.

"I wanted to help you..." She smiled her brightest smile. Maybe with this he will cool down, Fllay hoped.

Kira Yamato didn't act like she expected, though. "Look, I _don't_ need your help right now. I didn't ask to. Now, you are trespassing on my property without my permission!" Annoyed look on his face.

"But…"

The brunette quickly cut her off. "Hey, don't you understand? I don't your help now! You can't just barge in into people's house! _Get out _from here! I don't need a _busybody_ to solve my own problems!"

His yell made Fllay flinched a bit. Her bluish gray eyes were now as big as saucers. Kira was never this angry to her…

The brunette immediately regretted his outburst earlier. _Now I'm hurting her…shit._

He sighed and slowly got up from the couch. Destination: his own room. However, he stopped for a while at the entrance.

"Go home, Fllay…" Kira's melancholic voice recovered Fllay from her daze. "I need some time on my own…" The door was gently closed, leaving her, alone in the living room.

Kira threw himself to his bed, face buried deep in the comfy pillow. The brown head could faintly hear the main door closed. The redhead already left…

He tossed and turned, feeling very anxious, alone, and guilty. Finally, he reached for his handphone.

He dialed…it was Meyrin's number. It felt like eternity. _Come on…_

She didn't answer. Meyrin knew it was him so she immediately switched off her phone.

"Why does my bad habit returns?! Am I not learning enough for the whole one year?" Kira gritted his teeth with anger…angry with himself. "You've flouted one of the rules, Yamato: every apology must be delivered ASAP!"

Suddenly, it rained sakura petals around him. That could not be. It was too early for spring…

_Paper sakura petals???_

Kira turned his head to the back and he saw someone dropped the sakura petals around him.

It was a girl with deep red hair in a maid uniform, Fllay Allster …

"Are you feeling better? She sounded nervous. "I always asked people to do this to me when I felt…stressed out."

More and more of sakura petals dropped on Kira's head, shoulder, body…

"You're making mess to my room, Fllay…" He talked in monotone.

"Ah, sorry…" Fllay immediately picked up the petals that were on the bed, on the floor, and on his body. _What a boring guy…_

As she was busy doing that, all of sudden, a pair of hands gently stroked her head and played with her crimson colored hair.

"Maybe you can help me to clear of the shit in my head…" Kira raised her face upwards.

"Kir…MMMFF???" She couldn't finish her sentence. Her lips were locked in a deep kiss.

Fllay was stunned by what Kira did to her. Her mouth was unable to utter any word, not even a gasp, after the brunette slowly released her lips, leaving a bridge-like trail of saliva.

What Kira did next gave an even greater shock to her. He grabbed her shoulders and threw her to his bed. Talk about rough handling…

"Kira, _what_ are you doing?" She rose up. "What happened to you?"

"It's my girl, we fought again." He approached her, almost predator-like.

"You said you have make peace with her! You screwed it again, didn't you?"

"Be quiet, Fllay…" He pinned down the terrified lady and slowly embraced her. "Don't leave me…I _need _you…" Kira whispered this to her.

The redhead couldn't believe her ears. _No, this can't be true… _

However, when Kira began to unzip her uniform, multiple alarms went off in her head. _No, not again!!!_

"Stop this, Kira!" She struggled to break free. "What are you doing? What about your lover?" Suddenly, she gave out a gasp. The lusty looking brunette gave her a lovebite just above her shoulder, on her neck. But that only silenced her for a second. It won't stop her from kicking, flailing and screaming; trying to escape from his clutches.

"What is more important to us…" Kira, who was not very happy with her acts, put his right hand onto Fllay's mouth, silencing her. "…than being alone like this?"

_His eyes…Let me go, Kira! _He began to lower down the upper part of her uniform, threatening her breast to exposure. _No!!!_

It was now or never. Fllay bit Kira's hand which was still on her mouth. He immediately withdrew his pained hand and the crimson-haired maid won't let this opportunity to pass. She hit him repeatedly with his pillow. He didn't fight back.

Then, Fllay ceased fire. She immediately zipped back her uniform. Tears and immense anger were on her flushed face.

"You can't just run away from your problem!" One powerful slap landed on his face. "You have to face it!" Fllay repeated her blows until Kira's cheeks turned red and nice to look at. "You're a **COWARD**!!!"

"…" Fllay's wrath had made him dumb.

His silence cost him his face. His pillow was thrown to it.

"You're a jerk…Kira Yamato…I HATE YOU!" She promptly left the room and also the house.

* * *

_I was touched…and happy when you helped me, Kira…I felt secure when I was under your care…But now, I'm confused…_

Tears flow freely down Fllay's cheeks. People were staring at her but she didn't give a damn at all. She hastened her pace. All she wanted was the safety of Clyne's mansion, her home.

She didn't care when it was starting to rain cats and dogs, too…

* * *

_**The night, Mwu's place…**_

"Dude, don't stare at my bike too long. It'll strain your eyes." The green eyed youth chuckled.

Kira was absolutely enthralled by the Ten-Ninety-Eight. He's too deep in his own world to hear its owner.

"Just ignore him, Mister. He's always like that when it comes to bike." Mwu sighed. "Here you are; one special beef burger. That will be 2 dollars and 50 cents, please."

"Whoa, that was fast!" The slim figure fished out some money from his back pocket. Then, he handed it to the blonde.

"Thank you." A wide smile was on Mwu's face. "But, I've to admit, that's one cool super bike."

"Thanks for your compliment, bro. Well, gotta go!"

"Thanks for your patronage! Do come again!" After that, Mwu turned his attention towards the drooling Kira.

"Get off from that bike, asshole! He wanted to leave already!"

The owner of that Ducati just smiled as Kira grinned sheepishly. The brunette watched him until he disappear from his sight. _He's cool…_

At that time, Mwu's walkie-talkie came to life.

"_Hey, Mwu, asked Kira to come; at the usual place, ASAP." _Dearka's voice crackled through it.

"Got it. Mwu's out." He put the walkie-talkie down. "Hey, boy! Go to the usual place, NOW. Something's up, I'm sure of it." The older man yelled towards the chocolate-haired youth, still in the la-la land.

Kira immediately snapped from his daydream and quickly went to his Y125Z. He donned his helmet, bringing his bike to life and promptly went off.

"That bobbed-haired guy appeared again. He asked for you." The tanned blond whispered to Kira.

"So, where is he?"

"Over there." Dearka glanced at the silver head, not far from both of them. "Let's go."

They approached the mentioned man, who was happily chatting with several fellow racers. Dearka cleared his throat, to attract the bobbed hair's attention.

"I got your wanted man here. Kira, meet Yzak Joule."

"Kira Yamato." The brunette extended his right hand towards the gray haired man. "I haven't greeted you properly before."

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" He ignored Kira's hand. The latter quickly took back his hand. Contempt was in his face.

"All right, Yamato-san. Tonight, let's see who is better. I brought along Y125Z. So, it'll be fair and square this time."

Kira simply frowned at him, saying nothing.

"It'll be a sprint; one on one fight, dude. Do you agree?"

"Right on, punk." Kira chuckled dryly. He started to turn away from Yzak after he shot a fierce glare at his opponent. However, as he walked off…

"I forgot something! You and I will race through the inner city!" The silver head yelled, hoping to get Kira's attention.

The brown head just continue walking, not even stopping to give Yzak an answer…

* * *

Glossary:

Ten-Ninety-Eight – Another name for Ducati 1098. This bike is a 1099 cc super bike manufactured none other by, Ducati!

Crotch rocket – It is a slang for some types of sport bikes, mainly super sport and super bikes. In this chapter, Kira was referring to Yzak's bike.

Moped – In some countries, small motorcycles are being referred by this name. Kira's Y125Z falls under this category.

Honda CBR600RR – This 599cc super sport bike is manufactured by Honda. So, what's the difference between _super sport bike _and _super bike_? Just scroll down.

Super sport bike - Super sport bikes (also known as middleweight sport bikes) are sharply focused for optimal performance on a race track. They are generally built around a high revving, small displacement powerplant that is usually sized around 600 cc to 800 cc.

Super bikes - The term_Superbike_ is a word that is trademarked solely by Ducati Motor Holding, but due to the popularity of the motorcycles in this segment, the super bike term has been generally adopted to describe all bike (regardless of manufacturer) in this classification. Super bikes are large displacement super sport bikes. They have the exact same characteristics as the smaller super sport bikes which are mainly focused on race track performance, but are powered by larger engines that are usually sized around 800 cc to 1100 cc. So, that means, Athrun got more powerful bike than Yzak's!


	8. The Fall

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By: hikari luv shirayuki

_**Public service message: People, I do not and will not support street racing. It is illegal and highly dangerous, both for you and other road users. Be smart. Value your life. Remember your loved ones. If you have the need for speed, just play videogames or go race in a legal circuit.**_

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed? Not mine. Heineken? Not mine. Marlboro? Not mine. Ducati 1098? Heck, it's not mine. Honda CBR600RR & Honda Y125Z? I owned it in my dreams so in real life? Not mine, too. Star Scream? He is Megatron's, I think. Baltran? Definitely not mine. God, I'm tired…**_

* * *

A/N: (scroll down please)

hikariluvshirayuki: Kira, you will be bashed in this chappie.

Kira: WHAT?!

hikariluvshirayuki: Aww, that's not bad. I'm planning to do something nice to you for the next chappie. No pain, no gain. Ne, Yamato-san?

Kira: Fuck you! (Fllay threw a water basin to his head, rendering him unconscious.)

Fllay: Sorry, boss. (She dragged Kira away…)

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 8: The Fall

_What's with this guy?! _Kira gritted his teeth in frustration as he weaved in and out through the busy traffic. He just couldn't overtake the silver head.

_We're so damn near but it seems like we're so fucking far! _The brunette nearly missed a car's side mirror.

_**Yzak's POV**_

That's why I called you amateur, motherfucker. You're betting on power alone, that's why you lose!

_**End of Yzak's POV**_

Kira tried to outpace his opponent by ramping up the throttle. He still can't. He already reached his Y125Z's limit.

Moving on almost 200 km/h felt like flying. Only, that is, you're moving on the ground. Your life can fly away easily, too.

However, Kira didn't mind it at all. One thing and the only one thing was on his mind; winning this race to knock out the smirk out of that silver bobbed hair's face!

He let out a scream of rage, hoping that his anger was channeled to his beloved bike. Kira didn't care either about death or car honks around him. He felt invincible now.

_Let show that bastard who owned Heliopolis' streets!_

* * *

"That silver-haired guy; I never seen him before." Tolle commented towards a man beside him.

"Maybe he's from other place." Dearka gazed at the sky, puffing out smoke.

"Hey, they're back!" A shout was heard, followed by a loud cheer.

"Who won?" Tolle immediately rose from his seat. He moaned in disappointment when he saw what was going on in front of him.

"What happened?" The blond asked anxiously.

"See for yourself, dude." The brunette slumped into his plastic chair.

_Shit…_Dearka could see clearly the anger in Kira's eyes as he walked towards them. He knew his reason of being that way. It's obvious; Dearka saw it. The tanned 21 years old snuffed out his fag.

"Kira…" He was cut off when Kira pushed him away.

"Leave me alone, Elsman. I'm not in the mood to talk." Kira sat down and ordered a chilled Heineken.

The blond took a sharp breathe and exhaled slowly. Tolle didn't say anything at all.

"Bad luck, huh?" A passing guy patted Kira's shoulder. The latter got up, not looking very pleased.

"Fuck off, smart ass." Kira looked menacingly towards the grinning raven haired man.

"Whoa, cool down, man." He left the obviously hostile Kira, alone, licking his wounds. The chocolate-haired man snorted and seated again in between of Dearka and Tolle.

They were quiet until the Honda CBR600RR slowly heading towards their direction.

"Kira, it's him again…" Tolle whispered to his buddy who was trying hard to open the can. The other brunette sweatdropped but he helped his buddy to open it anyway.

"Hey, Kira! You're supposed to buy me a drink! I won the race, _right_?" Yzak yelled at him while moving slowly in a circle.

They do not speak a word, not even looking at the rider. However, what Yzak did next attracted their attention and Kira's anger…

The slender, silver haired young man moved up and down on the seat and let out a lusty moan. As if he was…

The crowd around those three gave out a very loud cheer, hoots and whistles. Yzak did that while he rode in one small circle. After that, he gave out a loud roar of laughter, obviously to mock Kira.

The brunette was not amused at all. He was seething inside. Kira's eyes followed Yzak as he parked nearby.

An idea passed slightly like a lightning in his head. "Hey, keep this cold for me, will ya?" Kira gave his Heineken to Dearka.

"Where are you going?" The two asked in unison.

"Passing motion." The chocolate-haired youth hasten his pace towards Yzak, who was chatting happily with his clique.

Contrary to the popular belief, Kira didn't go towards _Yzak_, he was pursuing other target.

It's the _Honda CBR600RR._

Everything happened in a flash. By the time Yzak realized about Kira's action, he was already gone in lightning speed. Yzak's clique loses no time in scrambling on their bikes. They gave out a furious chase.

"Get him!" Yzak shrieked, almost like furious Star Scream.

* * *

_Whoa, this bike is superb! _Kira admired the CBR600RR. The joy was short-lived, though.

A number of bikes were gaining on him, _fast_.

_Shit! _He quickly throttled up. The bike reacted spontaneously, darted off in high speed.

It was a hot pursuit. Kira have the advantage because he got a powerful bike. It came with a price, though.

_**He can't control the beast…**_

At the corner, he nearly missed a car. Kira lost control, skidded along the road and hit the lamp post. Injured and dazed, Kira got up and hobbled, trying to escape his pursuers. Tonight was the unluckiest for the brunette.

_**Kira's POV…**_

I tried to bolt away but my legs… No, just keep on going; they're nearer and nearer…The pain…I gasped to catch my breath but I felt my chest pained, too. I kept going, stumbling, groping, and then rose again. At last, they surrendered on me. _Stupid fucking legs. _My head pulsated, my left arm ached, my knees throbbed; God, why do you have to punish me like this? I just wanted my revenge! Damn, they are here already! I'm SO dead right now…

_**End of Kira's POV…**_

Hoots and jeers were heard as motorcycles circled around the vulnerable Kira. Malicious smiles were on their lips. Shortly after that, Yzak himself arrived at the scene, riding Kira's Y125Z.

"Sato, Chris, lift him up." Yzak's face was like a Toltec mask.

"You cocky bastard!" Kira spat at the slender man. "Eat that, motherfucker!"

Yzak wiped off his face, feeling disgusted. "Hey, I think you're the one who is cocky. Hell, you don't even realize you're in a big trouble now."

"Wait until my gang arrives!" They brought him to an alley, hidden from others.

Eyebrow rose. "Hmmm…you know what, I already taken care of them." Yzak moves a finger across his throat.

A gasp came out from Kira's bloodied mouth. "No way…"

"Of course I can." A sneer came out. "I CAN DO THIS TOO!" Yzak immediately struck a blow to Kira's stomach with a metal bar he grabbed earlier.

Kira coughed blood. The lion in him wanted to retaliate but he was too weak.

"You're making me…ANGRY!" Yzak jabbed him with the metal bar. "Lee, you handle that shit." He gestured at Kira's bike.

"With pleasure, Yzak." In no time, the Y125Z was toppled to the ground, just like its master. Its oil ran out freely from the tank; creating a large pool of hydrocarbons.

"No, what are you doing!?" Kira said in a weak, hoarse voice.

"Sorry, dude; tit for tat." A metal bar was raised and landed hard on Kira's ankle.

A snap; followed by a loud nearly-inhuman howl.

"He's all yours, boys." The man with the neck-length straight hair slowly left the still pained Kira.

Whacks, clobbers and kicks. Another screams of pain accompanied with gleeful mocking laughs.

The slim man brushed his hand to his silver colored hair as he went out from the alley. He fished out a lighter together with a pack of Marlboro from his pocket. A smile and one snort. Then, he puts one cigarette onto his lips and promptly lighted it.

Just then, a Ducati 1098 arrived at the scene.

"I searched for you. Our guys back there told me you're around this area."

"Hey, you're late for the show, Athrun. I've already taken care of the trouble maker."

The bike's pillion rider, Meyrin squinted both of her eyes to see what was happening at the end of the alley but she couldn't. It was too dark.

"Then, what are you waiting for? Get out from here." Athrun started his bike and went off.

"Let's go, people!" Yzak ordered his men.

He looked towards the half-dead brunette; he can't help himself but to snigger.

"What a sore loser." Yzak lighted his lighter and threw it into the pool of oil. Instantly, the Y125Z went ablaze.

The silver head gave out a maniacal laughter and he disappeared from the scene, together with his men…

* * *

_**Fllay's POV…**_

_Click._ I gently shut my door behind me. God, I was tired…The thing happened this evening scared the hell out of me. I can't sleep, that's why I worked on some stuffs until late night, to clear my head.

I didn't even bother to get a change of clothes. Still in my uniform, I threw myself to my bed. Aisha-san stirred because of the faint noise. She looked so peaceful. Maybe she liked hot and steamy night, I thought.

I lay on my stomach and my face was buried deep in my pillow. Finally, I felt safe, secure in my own room.

Kira…My eyes felt stinging when I thought about him again. Friends never did something like _that_, right Kira?

_You were surprisingly gentle when I was sick or sad…._

I sat on my bed, hugging my Baltan plushie.

_You were surprisingly violent when I went to your house today…_

I couldn't hold it anymore. Tears rolled down rapidly.

_You were an animal…just like him…_

All the crying had tiring me more. It felt so heavy, like a lead...my head…

Suddenly, the door_opened_. That was impossible! I locked it just now!

"Hello, my_dearest_ daughter..." His presence was frighteningly very, _very_familiar. His long wavy, blond hair; goosebumps already crawling on my skin. His face was being obscured by the darkness. He is the…_monster!_

I gasped. "No, this is impossible. You cannot be here!" Immediately, I rushed to Aisha-san's side, frantically waking her up.

"Aisha-san, Aisha-san, help me! There's someone in our room!" I shook and shook. She didn't budge, didn't stir. She just slept on, more like dead to me.

A pair of hands roughly tore me away from her and threw me to my bed. My head hit the wall. It was nasty. Curses flew but he didn't care.

"Your beloved father is here, Fllay _dear_." He smiled. I was not sure, though. Everything was spinning and starry to me.

"My _father_…is dead. You are not him, you can't even _replace_ him!" Still dizzy, I slowly reached for my pillow.

"That's cruel, Fllay my honey." He saw through me. My only weapon, gone. I was helpless now.

"Why don't you love me just like any good daughters?" His weight felt terrifyingly familiar. "I always loved you as my own daughter, Fllay. I always_give_ you my love…"

God, if you were there somewhere, I wanted to ask you a lot of questions. Why he became my father? Why he always hurt me? Why me, God? _Why me?_

It was sudden, just as his sudden appearance to my room. A motorcycle came out from nowhere, and knocked 'the monster' off from my body. But, the motorcycle did more than that.

Whoever it was, the rider knocked out the nightmare off my head...

* * *

Fllay stared at the ceiling for a long time, hugging her Baltran tightly.

_It felt very real…_With immense fear, she shivered. Slowly, she rose from her bed and went towards the door. Once she got outside, it was a race towards the bathroom.

She could not take it anymore. With trembling hands, she locked herself from outside world._I'm safe here, right?_

Instead, being alone in there worsened her fear, her anxiety. Her heart felt like a little Kira, speeding recklessly on the highway. Hands were on her head, threatening to pull out the hair.

"Fllay, it's just a dream, just a dream, just a dream…" Her voice sounded thick while chanting her makeshift mantra. She bit hard on her lips, fighting hard not to cry. But, she lost the battle.

"Why did he come back???" The dam burst open. "That demon…_that demon_!"

Fllay desperately needed someone to untie the knot inside her chest. It was a torture, constricting and choking her here and there. But, she could not ask someone in Clyne's mansion to help her.

_I can't tell them…I simply can't…_

Suddenly, a person flashed through her mind. _Kira…I want to see him…I'm confused, Kira. But still, I wanted to be with you… _

Then, it dawned on her. She had never a single nightmare after she met Kira. It only came back after today's incident. Fllay stood up, wiped her tears off from her face and got out from the bathroom. Determination was burning in her gray eyes.

She quietly entered her room. 1 o'clock in the morning, she noted. That fact didn't faze her, though.

_I'm going to see Kira again…_

* * *

A/N: Whoa, I've made this far. Unbelievable.

First time visiting this site: Sometime in middle of 2002 (As a reader and reviewer – people in Vandread, Rurouni Kenshin, Gatekeepers and You're Under Arrest section maybe familiar with my nickname. I always visited those sections before. Oh, maybe they forget me.)

Kissed it goodbye: Sometime in 2004. (Got bored and moved along with other projects on the Net.)

Revisited it: Early 2006

Reason: My body was itching for Gundam SEED fanfics!

Becomes a writer:_ Check for yourself when I published this story._

Reason: I got inspired after reading KiraxFllay fics! ___Don't ask what both of them can do for me but ask what I can do for both of them…_

**_End of my random nonsense. Comments, please?_**


	9. Turmoil of Hearts

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By: hikari luv shirayuki

_**Disclaimer: Gundam SEED is **__**the property of Mitsuo Fukuda and Bandai.**_

* * *

A/N: Exams are still on but my writer's block, ironically, is gone! I don't know whether this chapter is good or not but please give your comments. I appreciate it! Sorry, if it is bad.

* * *

Chapter 9: Turmoil of Hearts 

Gulp.

She swallowed hard. It felt like a thousand of creepy crawlies on her body.

_Maybe I should turn around and forget it…_

Being half-way towards that brunette's house, the idea to back off now was not a very good one. Firstly, she already sneaked out from Clyne's mansion. Now, it was the darkness. Darkness equals to danger. Someone might lurk somewhere…waiting to pounce on the lone girl.

Just thinking about the possibilities sent the chills down to her spine. Fllay felt the adrenaline coursing through her blood, giving her the superhuman strength to run…

It was a mad dash towards Kira's house…

* * *

"Kira? Are you there? It's me, Fllay." The panting and sweating cherry head knocked at his front door, gently but audible enough for people inside to hear it.

Yamato's residence was dark. Obviously, if someone was in there, he or she was already asleep.

No answer, no reply. Fllay knocked again and this time louder. Then, she went for the door handle. It was locked. _Of course…_Then, she pressed her ears to the door, hoping to catch any faint sound from inside.

There was nothing…_Where are they?_

Her hopes were dashed. The cherry head slumped in front of the door, feeling incredibly tired. Blame it on the running. Cold air of the night also fuelled her sleepiness.

"Kira…where are you?" She murmured. "Stupid punk, I should have been sleeping comfortably on my bed by now…if not for that nightmare…"

Her eyes now really felt like a lead, threatening to shut itself tight.

"I need y…"

* * *

"She's gone? What happened?" The Scandinavian man's face crumpled. 

"I don't know, Clyne-sama. When I woke up this morning, Fllay was not in her bed. I thought she was already up before me; I was wrong, sir."

Siegel Clyne shook his head, ruefully. The head maid, her face grim, declined to speak further. When her employer opened his mouth, the words that came out of it surprised the slender woman in her 20s.

"When she comes back later, don't scold her. I bet she have a good reason for her behaviour."

"_But_, Clyne-sama…" Aisha's protest was immediately being silenced by her employer's smile.

"Do you remember, Aisha? When we took her from the streets? Poor thing…"

Baffled by Siegel's sudden reminiscing, the azure-haired raised a brow. "That was 5 years ago, Clyne-sama. Why are you talking about this?"

"A big change is coming." His lips curled into a bright smile.

Question marks floated around the woman's head.

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

Our Sleeping Beauty stirred before waking up from her deep slumber, her mind was still hazy. Fllay scanned her surroundings and now she remembered where she was…

She was still in Yamato Residence's compound, in front of Kira's front door.

The redhead sighed and got herself up. While brushing her black jeans, something crossed her mind.

_It's been a long time since the last time I slept on a concrete floor…_

Fllay, the maid, gave out a bittersweet smile as she left the house area.

_It's a waste of time after all…to think that he will help you, Fllay…_

She felt as if she was in the middle of a barren desert, alone and left for dead. So, the dejected young girl headed towards Clyne's mansion, expecting a hell of bombardment from her employer and the head maid of the house…

_**At the same time**__**, in a different place…**_

"Wake up, sleepy head."

"It's still early, Mey…" The blue-haired youth turned in his comfy bed. "I'm tired…"

"_Early_, you said? Athrun, it is 10 am already!" The crimson-haired woman lightly knocked his head.

The only son of Patrick Zala, with hair ruffled and face crumpled, finally got up from his bed, albeit with much reluctance. Sporting a pout with his face, he left for the bathroom.

"Smile, Athrun boy. A pout first thing in the morning will give you a shorter life." The girl behind him giggled.

A growl escaped from his mouth.

_**Moments later…**_

"Athrun, lunch is ready!" Meyrin's voice rang throughout the house, startling the man, who was completely engrossed in his TV watching. He rose from the couch and went straight to the kitchen.

"Where is Luna? I haven't seen her since last night."

"Sis went to Junius City since two days ago. She is supposed to return this morning but she said she got something to do." Suddenly, foxy ears grew out from her head. "Fufu, why, you miss her already?"

"Baka."

Then, at that moment, his emerald eyes were fixed upon the dinner table. "Are you going to say that we have to finish all of _these_?" Wrinkles grew out from his forehead.

The scarlet-haired girl grinned sheepishly and squirmed a little. "Sorry, I overdid it."

He made himself comfortable on one of the chairs while heaving a deep breath audibly. "Well, never mind." Then, the green-eyed young man gave out a wink, rendering the young girl completely consumed by shades of red. "It's been a long time since the last time I ate your cooking."

"Stop teasing me, Athrun." Meyrin spun around, avoiding his smiling face. The azure head broke into a fit of laughter, so loud that it reverberated through the house.

"_What_ is so funny?" Her eyes were reduced to mere slits.

Gulp. His laughter faded quickly, sensing incoming war. Immediately he assumed the 'cool-Athrun' mode.

"You look absolutely cute when blushing, Mey." Sparkles form around his body and face when he said that.

"Oh, _nice try_, boy." The sparkles went out with a poof. The redhead seated herself at the other end of the table, far away from Athrun.

"Come on, Mey." This time, he assumed 'puppy-eyes-Athrun' mode.

Thank God, it worked. Meyrin stood up and seated next to him. However, a scowl was still on her face.

"Next time, don't do that, Athrun." She was already relaxed.

Suddenly, the blue-haired boy edged closer to her. "Where is the 'honey' gone, Mey? _Athrun_ sounds too formal."

Blush. "Not yet, hon…I mean, Athrun." She picked up her spoon and fed herself. "Give me time until the end of this week." Her reply gave the young Zala a _really _bad mood.

"There is no use of giving him another chance, Mey." The cerulean-haired man's voice grew stiff. "He is a complete jerk!"

Meyrin, not too pleased with his tone of voice, shot a fierce glare at him. "Don't talk to him like that!" She hissed. "I still want to give him another chance! _I still love him_!"

Athrun put down his cutleries, with a clang. "Why are you _with_ me then?"

She kept silent, preferring not to answer the man she used to love. Her heart was in turmoil.

Her ex sighed again. "I will wait, Mey." Smiling, the blue head stroked the redhead's hair gently. After all, why ruin such a nice day?

"Em…" The food on the table didn't look tasty anymore.

_**In the evening**__**…**_

"This is Clyne's Residence…"

"_Andrew-san? Is that you?"_

The brown-haired butler immediately knew who it was. "Yes, it is me, Lacus-sama. Is there anything that you want, Miss?"

"_Tell Martin not to fetch us after school. Meer and I want to walk__ to home."_

"Walk? Miss, I think it is better for both of you…"

"_No, no. When I want to walk, I walk. __Do I make myself clear, hmmm?"_

Andrew Waltfeld sweatdropped when he heard the tone of his young mistress voice. "Yes, Miss. You and Meer-sama may walk. May I ask a question, Lacus-sama?"

"_Yes, you may."_

"Why suddenly Lacus-sama and Meer-sama want to walk?"

"_Hehehe, __nothing. Anyway, goodbye Andrew-san!"_

"Take care both…" Click. The pink head already hung on her line. The middle-aged butler shook his head and already went ahead to tell the chauffeur about the latest development.

* * *

"KIRA, YOU IDIOT!" A blonde girl slammed on the phone, hard. "IT'S 11 PM ALREADY AND YOU ARE STILL NOT RETURN YET!!!" 

Cagalli marched like a mad elephant towards the couch. She sat; the leather-covered sofa gave out a squeak. Then, she reached for the remote, really needed something good to watch to kill off her worries.

In the midst of her channel surfing, the telephone rang. The persistent ringing made Cagalli felt like the elephant on her heart lifted off completely. The lass hurriedly went towards the phone.

"Hello, Yamato Residence! Kira, is that you?" She answered it, excitedly.

The caller from the other end of the line sweatdropped. "Are you the sister of Kira Yamato?"

"Yes, I am." Cagalli said matter-of-factly. _It's a girl…_

As curious as a cat, Kira's younger sister asked what happened. So, the caller explained why she called.

Moments later, the conversation was over and Cagalli, all glum, slowly put the receiver in its place.

_Holy shit…_

* * *

Fllay stared at the bathroom window for hours. Bedtime, be damned. She wasn't searching for any pimples or anything like that on her face. 

Instead, her focus was fixed on the blackened spot near to her neck…the hickey mark that Kira gave her. The scarlet head hated it, as if it was the Cain's mark itself.

"Is this how you treat your _friend_, Kira?" Teeth gritted, fists clenched and grey eyes burned.

_Friend…_

Strangely, the word seemed not so right for her. The fact that the brunette already got his own _significant other_ in his heart was beginning to stir a funny emotion in her heart, the one that she never experienced before.

Suddenly, she was not there anymore, not in bathroom. She went back towards the good times, fun times, carefree times when Kira was an easy picking for her, when Kira was fun to talk with, when Kira was the most gentle man that she ever came across…

His easily-get-irritated personality, his reckless and gung-ho attitude, his warmth and kindness…Oh, how she missed those days!

Yeah, Kira was a good friend…_Was._

The rose-coloured hair girl's face soured. One event destroyed her friendship with him.

_Or __does it?_

"Maybe…if I meet him again…Kira will apologize to me." Her face beamed; body feeling bouyant, as if she was standing underwater. "Yes, _yes_. He _will_. He just went crazy yesterday!"

Then, a sudden reversal. First, it was a droplet of salt water. Followed by two more. Later, it slowly turned into a steady stream of crystal clear saline liquid.

Despite all of these, Fllay managed to curl her lips into a smile…A bitter smile, but still a smile nonetheless.

"Kira…is too good a friend…for me...to lose…"


	10. Seeing Reds

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By: hikariluvshirayuki

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam SEED**__**…**_

* * *

A/N: This chapter brought to you Kira-less and full of Fllay and Meyrin. I don't know whether you like it or not. Any comments are appreciated.

* * *

Chapter 10: Seeing Reds… 

_**One fine morning in Hawke's sisters' house…**_

"Sis, I'm being with Athrun again." Meyrin put down her glass of water, adding a dramatic effect to her statement.

Luna choked on her instant noodle. Panic was in the house.

_**Several minutes later… **_

"Are you sure about this? Then, how about Kira?" The purple head furrowed her brow while wiping her mouth.

"I'm going to tell him today. We're over." The younger sibling spoke in monotone.

"Hey, take your time, Mey. Isn't it a bit too rushed? Why don't you give Kira another chance?"

Meyrin picked off her handphone. "No, I have decided already. ONE week is UP. I waited for another 3 days since he last called me. _Nothing_ happened." She dialed a number. "I'm going to call him." The redhead gestured her sister to go away.

Luna went towards the kitchen. "There goes my lunch…I guess I have to eat again."

* * *

Somewhere in Heliopolis, inside the compound of some wealthy businessman, a teenage maid was sweeping a porch, looking very lifeless. 

Sometimes, she gave out a quick sigh and stopped for a while, gazing forlornly at the empty space.

At one time, she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and smiled to herself. After that, she giggled for no reason. Then, her face turned sour. Ever going to mental asylum, anyone?

With one last sigh, Fllay started sweeping again, still feeling unenergetic. Suddenly, she gave out an ear-splitting shriek.

_Something__ blunt poked her bottom…_

The girl, flushed with anger and embarrassment quickly turned her body to meet the culprit. It was none other than…

"_**Ogre...**_" Her petite body trembled. She tightened her grip on her broom until her hands turned white.

"Yo…" The 'ogre' grinned, complete with the victory sign.

The fiery bombshell answered back with one swift blow using her trusty broom…

* * *

Afterwards, the scarlet head went inside the mansion to clean up the windows in the main hall after she finished sweeping the porch. 

"Hey, I heard someone shrieked just now. Do you know who it was?" Aisha was busy mopping the marble floor.

"It's me. Nothing to worry much, it's just a damn bug. I swatted it already." The crimson-haired girl took out a cloth and sprayed detergent on one of the window panes.

_If I meet him again, surely he will apologize to me. It was a mistake…he stressed__ out at that time…_

Fllay wiped the window glass until it became spotless and shiny.

_I can't go on like this…It's hurting me…_

Then, she went for the next window panes and repeated the same process.

_I thought and thought last night…She had failed…I might succeed…I still believe that Kira is a nice guy…_

All those work done, the young maid moved on to her next task.

_I have to do something to this…this…this weird feeling of mine…_

She walked at a steady pace, face looking ahead.

_Tonight, I will go to Mwu's place…_Determination burned in the gray eyes.

_**Meanwhile…**_

"Hey, wake up bastard…" Shani casually kicked the lifeless Orga.

No reaction, no reply…

* * *

_**Kira's house**__**, afternoon…**_

"Kira, Kira! Are you inside?" Meyrin yelled from the outside. No answers. She pouted.

"Where did he go? When I called, he didn't answer. Even his sister is gone!" Then, she dialed another number.

"_This is the voicemail box for the number XXX-XXXXXX…"_

"That's strange. Dearka never switch off his handphone…" Meyrin dialed again, this time Tolle's number.

"_This is the voicemail box for the number__ XXX-XXXXXX…"_

"Where is everybody!?" She yelled in frustration. "Now, Mwu-san is the only one who knows where Kira is."

Then, it dawned on her. "I don't know where his house, though." She slowly left Kira's front yard.

"Tonight I will stop at his burger place…"

_**Clyne's mansion, 10 pm…**_

"Going out to buy burgers, Fllay?" The azure-haired woman folded her arms.

"Yes…" Her junior replied in a sing-song manner while combing her fiery hair.

"Is it for those two?" Aisha sat on her bed.

"No, I wanted one for myself." Fllay put a lipstick on her lips. Then, she puckered it.

At the same time, Aisha looked at her as if she never seen Fllay before. "Hey, is a trip to that place a special occasion?"

"Why are you saying like that?" The redhead craned her neck towards the mirror, checking whether everything is all right.

"You wore a lipstick, which before this you always wear a lip gloss. You let your hair loose, which before this you always tied it up with what ever style. You put a makeup, which you never put one since the first time I met you. And finally, you wore that…that…that pink satin dress! This is weird, Miss Allster!"

"So why not today?" Fllay pivoted to meet the head maid. She swished around, admiring herself and then stopped, giggling happily. "Well, I got to go, Aisha sempai!" The junior maid bent over towards her senior and kissed her right cheek.

"What the…" The maid Fllay, no, the _Princess_ Fllay already left the room, though.

* * *

Fllay Allster walked happily down the street. Her head bobbed along the way, like a child on her way to the carnival. 

However, deep in her heart, the fear remained.

_What are you thinking, Fllay!? Kira is no monster! You__ have to banish this demon in your heart forever!_

To comfort the turmoil in her heart, she giggled to herself when she thought what will happen if she got there later. Mwu-san surely gave out whistles. But Fllay didn't want the blonde's attention…

_**Moments later…**_

"Where are they?" Her heart sank low. The burger stall was closed. No lights, no sounds, no Mwu, no _Kira…_

But, instead, a girl stood in front of the supposedly open-for-business stall. She turned, noticing Fllay who approached her from behind.

"They are closed today. I don't know why." Disappointment was evident from the tone of that girl's voice. Fllay could feel it.

"Guess I have to turn back, then. Goodbye." She had the 'oh-well-there-is-nothing-I-can-do' tone as well.

"Goodbye. Please take care." The girl waved Fllay farewell.

This was no fairytale. The red princess' wish was not fulfilled. _Where is fairy godmother when I needed her? _The feeling of tightness to her throat and eyes came again. Ironically, her arms and legs felt relaxed.

_Oh, Kira…because of you, I think I'm getting used to this feeling again. I thought I already left it long time ago…_

As she was already half-way to Clyne's mansion, suddenly a voice calling her broke the reverie of hers.

"Miss, please wait!" It was the girl Fllay met earlier.

"What happened?" The cherry head asked the girl, who was still panting and huffing.

"Miss, I…I don't want to bother you but…can you please accompany me to the playground near this area? I asked…my boyfriend to fetch me there." The younger looking girl breathed heavily.

"I won't mind." Fllay smiled warmly. "Let's go, then."

"Thank you, Miss." Suddenly, the girl stopped. "Wait; how rude I am! I forgot to introduce myself!"

She extended her hand towards Fllay while grinning widely.

"I'm Meyrin."

"I'm Fllay. Nice to meet you, Meyrin."

Even though it was a friendly start, the two red princesses walked towards the playground; in complete silence. Fllay was bad at starting conversation with strangers and so was Meyrin. The air was tense; both were unwilling to fill in the void of silence…

When they got there, finally Fllay broke the ice.

"Say, Meyrin-san, I think I met you before." She examined the other scarlet-haired girl.

"Maybe you're mistaken me for someone else, Fllay-san." She paused. "Just call me Meyrin. No need to be so formal. But can I call you 'Fllay onee-chan'? You looked older than me." Then, she flashed an ear-to-ear smile.

The older girl laughed. "So, I'm Fllay onee-chan, then." Meyrin nodded with a grin. After that, both of them made themselves comfortable on the swings.

"Where do you live, Meyrin?"

"North. Not far from Grand Lake Township."

Fllay raised her eyebrow in astonishment. "That's quite a distance from here!"

"That won't be a problem since my boyfriend got a car."

The maid chuckled. "You're lucky. I don't have one." She turned her gaze towards the heavens.

"Boyfriend or a car?"

"I meant boyfriend, of course."

The other red-coloured hair girl beside Fllay smiled weakly. _Am I that lucky?_

"I don't know Mwu-san's burgers and hot dogs that famous. People like you came down all the way from the other sector to the south just to buy those from him!"

Meyrin put a hand on her mouth, giggling. "I came here not for that reason, Fllay onee-chan. You knew Mwu-san, too?"

"I'm one of his regular here." She flashed a V-sign. "Actually, tonight…"

Drums were rolling in the Allster girl's chest.

"…I wanted to meet Kira, his helper."

Somehow, the air felt colder than before. Silence reigned for a few minutes.

"_You_ knew _Kira_, too?" The other girl's eyes narrowed. Meyrin noticed Fllay's bashful reaction to _his _name. It was obvious, even though the surrounding was quite dim.

"Of course, he's my…" Her blush went redder. "…friend."

"Now I know the reason why…" Meyrin's head hung low.

"What did you know, Meyrin?" Fllay asked the redhead amiably.

"Shut up, bitch!" Her shriek startled the older girl. Meyrin immediately got off from the swing and distanced herself from the puzzled Fllay. "_You're_ the one!"

"Meyrin, I don't understand what you are saying…" The maid could not finish her sentence. A slap had landed on her left cheek. She winced from the stinging pain.

"_You're_ the one who caused Kira to _neglect_ me…" She gave another slap, this time Fllay's right cheek.

"That's why he changed so much!" Now, Meyrin tugged Fllay's crimson coloured hair, _hard._ The 19 years old screamed in pain.

"Meyrin…please, wait. I'm innocent!" Her pleas were answered with a slap to her head. "Aaah…please, don't!"

"_Innocent?_ You fibber. _All_ lies!" The furious young girl gave out another round of slap. "You stole away his heart, made him neglected me, made him go rough with me. Before this, he was a gentleman…" Meyrin released Fllay's hair but she violently pushed her to the ground. "But, you ruined_ everything_!"

Fllay couldn't take the punishment anymore. She defiantly stood up again. This kind of wrong accusation must not be left unanswered.

"Look, I'm not the one who stole his heart!"

"Lie! Lie! All lies!" Both of Meyrin's hands were on her ears. As if she'd heard something terrible, something not meant for her.

"Listen, you brat!" Fllay forcefully tore away Meyrin's hands from her ears. "I don't know what happened to both of you now but I did ask him to make peace with you when you two fought over his new bike!"

Meyrin struggled to escape from Fllay's grasp but unable to do so. "So, you're with him all these times…You have destroyed the palace that we painstakingly built together for one year. You're a _thief_! A _devil_! A_ slut_!"

"Meyrin, I'm not…" Suddenly, the older woman felt bitter in her mouth. The guilt she tasted even bitter than the bitterest bitter gourd.

Finally, the younger woman broke free from the maid's weakened clutches. She attempted to slap Fllay again but the latter managed to catch it.

"All right, Meyrin." She slowly let go the other girl's hand. "Honestly, I was going to…I was going to make him mine…take him away from his girlfriend." Fllay was flushed, more because of the guilt.

The other girl just smirked. "You're a _bitch_ after all. I was right." She lifted her hands towards the Heavens. "God, she's a _real_ bitch!" Then, Meyrin shot an icy glare.

Fllay instinctively averted her gaze. She felt awfully guilty. Her secret desire was being told to none other than Kira's girlfriend herself.

"Take him, _whore_. I was going to dump him anyway."

"What did you say?" The older scarlet head silver eyes bulged. "Why?!"

"He's useless. Just as you. You're taking a discarded piece of trash called _Kira Yamato_…" The sneer was venomous.

"Watch out your mouth, girl! Kira was the kindest man I ever met!" The young maid retorted. She thought the other redhead would lash out again at her but the salvos from the other end didn't come.

"I have to agree on that, too…" Bittersweet smile was on Meyrin's lips. Tears began to run down through her pale cheeks. "Nevertheless, you'd ruined everything!" The 18 years old spat out in disgust.

Fllay, still wanted to defend herself, immediately took Meyrin's hands. "No, I'm not the reason why he neglected you! We're just friends!"

Just then, someone honked at them, startling them both. The younger redhead pulled her hands quickly from Fllay's.

"My_new_ boyfriend is already here." The 18 years old girl hissed fiercely. Both of them locked in staring mode. If looks could kill, Fllay should be dead by now. The other girl got a much more blood thirst in her gaze.

It was the younger girl who blinked first. She closed her eyes and slowly opened it again. Then, it narrowed.

"Hey, Kira is _yours_ now. I already gave my permission."

"Spare me jokes, Meyrin…There is no way he will accept me like this…" Her grey eyes were hidden by the fringes of her red hair.

"Hoh?" The vowel in the middle was purposely lengthened. "Do you think this is a soap opera or something? Obviously, I'm not the villain here."

With that, she walked away from the older woman. All of a sudden, Meyrin halted her steps. She turned.

"Take care of him…" Her tears renewed, flowed faster than ever. "If you meet Kira, tell him…" It was the most difficult words that the Hawke girl ever said. "…don't search for me anymore…"

* * *

Fllay shut the bathroom's door behind her gently. Now, she could drop her façade… 

The red princess broke down and cried, cried and cried. Her face buried in her hands; her body slumped into the corner of the wall.

_**"You're the one who caused Kira to neglect me…"**_

"Meyrin…Meyrin…I'm not…" Eyes reddened, make-up all smudged, face became blotchy.

Kira could not possibly fall in love with her.

_Wait_, Meyrin kept accusing her as the one who stole Kira's heart.

Fllay gasped, realization hit her.

_**"You're a bitch after all…"**_

If Kira did fall for her, then she was at fault…

She'd ruined the other girl's dream and happiness.

_**"God, she's a real bitch!"**_

Still, Fllay could not fight _it_. The fondness she felt towards him came like an unwanted stranger but she welcomed it with open arms; even though he did _tha_t to her. Last night, she fought a war with herself; leave Kira alone or take him away as hers and hers only. Yes, everybody knew which side won that 'war' the night before.

Her heart ached for him. Ached for his attention, ached for his gentle touch, ached for his _love_…

Tears came streaming down, non-stop. She felt very, _very_** filthy**…

_Meyrin was right…I'm a bitch…_

She slowly got up, opened the bathroom mirror-cum-medicine cabinet with agony, fumbled through the stuffs there and finally took out a sharp scissor.

_Goodbye Kira__…You deserve a better woman…_


	11. Karma

Gundam SEED: Bikes and Burgers, Pans and Brooms

By: hikari luv shirayuki

_**Disclaimer: I think I'm getting fond of this routine; Gundam SEED is not mine!**_

* * *

A/N: Here you go: Chapter 11! Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 11: Karma 

"Hey, I can't get used to it, you know. One week had past but still, it felt kinda weird." Orga slowly sipped his green tea while munching biscuits. It was the morning break time.

"Yeah, that was too great a change." Clotho nodded in agreement. "What do you say, eh Green Green?"

"No, I don't wanna but I gotta let you go…"

Veins popped out here and there on the head gardener's forehead. Being ignored was insulting enough for that guy.

"Clotho, pull that fucking thing out of his ears. It's time for Shani to stop looking high like a stupid druggie." The dark green-haired man gestured to the said guy's ears.

The orange head gleefully agreed to what the other gardener said and immediately did what Orga asked him to do.

"What the fuck?" The music fanatic was bewildered. His eyes darted towards the culprit. "Give that back, asshole!"

"We're discussing something and how dare you not listening to us." The head gardener talked to him like a teacher scolding a ruffian.

"Okay, I got it, I got it. Now, what do you want from me?"

"We were talking about the change in this house. Did you notice it?" Orga jumped into the conversation.

"What change?"

"Can't you see it!?" Clotho snapped.

"Hey, no need to yell like that, stupid!" Shani retorted. Verbal wars ensued. Orga, the most mischievous of the gardeners, made an effort to pacify the two, for the first time.

Several minutes and wasted saliva later, both parties had calmed down.

"Changes, you say? Yup, there's one." Eyes closed, Shani was thinking hard.

"What did you see?" The other two were eager to hear his answer.

"I miss good ol' Fllay."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Scandinavian man, somehow looked older today, gave out a quick sigh.

"This is not what I envisioned about her. Guess what, Aisha? I take back what I said the other day."

The head maid of the house, nodded weakly. Her eyes gazed tenderly at her employer…

Both of them smiled; bitterly.

"When we picked her…" Siegel recollected back his memory, left for dust in his mind's cabinet.

"She looked dead inside…" Aisha joined him.

"Cold, refuses to talk to anybody…"

"Gloomy all over…"

"Always pushing herself to the limit…"

"And yes, the most obvious thing…" The middle-aged man slowly sipped his coffee.

"Yes, about that…"

"She cuts her hair…at the same length as in 5 years ago…" Two voices, spoken in unison, agreed on one unmistakable fact.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He stirred first and then his eyes fluttered open. The world was still hazy to him, like seeing through a thick fog.

_Wh…What, where, who? _

He strained his eyes; try to make sense of what he was seeing…

_My leg…yeah, that's right…_

But, at least he could hear some faint sounds…no, it was voices. Ears were strained; he struggled to make the sounds he heard comprehensible. It vaguely sounded like her sister's voice.

"…come! He…up!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're stupid, Kira…so stupid!" Cagalli was tear-stricken.

"You're…noisy, Cagalli. Can you please…pipe down a bit?" Kira, body still weak, looked angrily at his sister.

Instead, his reprimands made her even noisier. Kira drew a deep breath and slowly released it. His lips curled into one gentle smile.

"Don't cry, sis. See? I'm still alive…" The brunette stroked the blonde's hair affectionately. "Thank you…Cagalli…for saving me."

Her incessant sobbing had somehow impaired her speech ability. She only managed to shake her head sideways.

"What is it?" Her brother's face turned sour.

With great difficulty, she spoke. "I…I…I'm not… (hic)…not the one…who saved…you… (hic)."

"Then, who?"

Slowly, the door opened with a creak. Kira turned his head towards its direction.

_A girl…_

"Ummm…hello there." Nervous smile was on her smooth lips.

_**Few **__**weeks **__**later…**_

"I just can't believe a mere girl like her can save me…"

"Oh, better _believe_ it, Kira." Cagalli scowled, hands were busy peeling an apple. "Thank goodness she found you when she was on her way home with her sister. She mentioned that you were half-dead back then. I don't know what happened to you that night and how on earth you ended up in some god-forsaken alley! What if…"

Kira quickly cut her off. "Hey, I'm lucky all right? My presence here is the proof!"

"Hai, hai. Enough of that talk, shall we? Now, we have to worry about your hospital bills."

"Oh, _great_." Amethyst rolled, arms folded.

Without prior warning that supposed to be consisted of polite knocks, the door opened.

"Hello there, Cagalli-san, Kira-san." A teenage girl entered. She left the hard wood door slightly ajar.

She was the 'angel' who saved the chocolate head, several days before.

"How are you today?" The teenager smiled at the bed-ridden youth.

"He's fine." The blond answered for her brother; a grin on her face.

"I hope you get better soon, Kira-san." Then, she spoke to someone outside the room. "You can come in now."

_G__eez, another one…_

The brunette discovered that the prospect of meeting another stranger slightly…distressing.

"I brought someone along with me today and…"

Eyes bulged, chocolate-coloured hair turned white, body went limp. He could not believe it when he set his gaze upon that person.

"…she is my maid."

Tick…tock…tick…tock.

Strangely, the sound of the clock suddenly became more prominent in the small room. It even surpassed the dull thumping noise of that particular male's heart.

The blond spoke first. "Hwey, Kivva…" Cagalli casually munched the apple that she peeled earlier. It went down afterwards. "I think I met her before."

"Remember that yellow towel?" He gave out a small hint for her.

"EEEEEEHHHHHH??????!!!!!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silence…

Kira was cursing the predicament that he was in, mentally…

_That__ stupid Cagalli...leaving me alone!_

He spoke first, anyway. The void growing between them was simply too tense for him, considering his condition.

"Aren't you scared of me?"

Remorse…

"No."

The flatness of her voice made the earlier feeling grew bigger.

Kira felt like a thousand butterflies' wings fluttered happily in his stomach. On top of that, his heart felt like falling, into fathomless abyss…

Those feelings were overwhelming enough…to make him nearly puke.

"Don't worry, Lacus-sama and your sister will come in a short while." She cleared her throat. "There's no need for that crumpled face."

_Hell, I can't even see you in the eyes! Why do you have to come here, girl?_

Kira felt his ears grew unbearably hot by the minute. _  
_

Uncomfortable as he might be, the brown head regained his composure and gave out a quick sigh. "Being an ice queen is unbecoming of you, Fllay."

She didn't answer that back.

"It's been a while since the last time I met you and…hell, you've changed a lot! That neck-length hair of yours…" He let out a grin. It faltered out quickly.

The crimson-haired maid's face showed a lack of interest. The topic was immediately changed.

"How do you end like this?"

Kira scratched his un-itchy head, which was fully covered in bandages. "It's a nasty accident, back then. That was…2 weeks ago, more or less, I guess."

This time, Fllay heaved a deep breath. "This kind of accident is bound to happen anyway. Acting tough all the time and when this kind of thing come, you're not invincible at all. Stupid."

"I don't need that kind of talk from you!" Kira hissed. "Can't you see I'm suffering here? There's no need for you to remind me that!"

Fllay answered him with a hell of a glare. The brunette flinched a bit, not expecting that coming.

"Your recklessness…Mr. Yamato, it sickens me!"

"So what?" Cockiness was in his tone. "You don't have the right to preach me, _bitch_."

That was a tactical error, like Westmoreland did in Khe Sanh.

The breaking point was reached. The palm of hers, a missile, fired in anger for the first time.

The target: his vulnerable left cheek.

She didn't care his pain or curses. The robe of his was violently tugged towards her. Their face nearly touched each other, so close that Fllay could feel his rugged breath.

"Listen here, _punk_…I wish I had daggers with me instead of just speaking daggers!" Snarling was at its highest point. "I never came across such despicable person like you before, Yamato!" She sounded like a venomous cobra, striking relentlessly at her victim.

For the first time, cold sweat trickled down Yamato's forehead, in front of such woman.

"I…I don't what the shit happened to you, girl. But, you don't have the right to assault me!"

"Still acting tough, eh Kira? Pity you. You got eyes but still fucking blind…"

"Shit…" The brown-haired young man groaned, hurting all over.

"Try to put yourself in others' shoes, will you? People who worried sick about you and you…you! You have no idea what I've been through these past weeks…" Her grip on him tightened.

"Let go of me…dumbass…Fuck, you're choking me!" Kira struggled to break free but unable to escape her grip. His body won't cooperate, either. It became excruciatingly painful all over, so much that a grimace surfaced on his face.

The cherry head noticed it. A smirk was on her face, signalling satisfaction. Then, abruptly, she let him go. Kira fell back to his bed with a thump and God, it was no pleasure.

Fllay Allster didn't wait for that man, who was still howling in pain, to have some peace.

_He didn't deserve that anyway…_

Her face moved towards his left ear, imparting information in a low tone.

Kira's eyes bulged and glared at her. At the same time, he gritted his teeth in pain and despair.

After that, the cherry head slowly walk towards the door and went outside.

"Doctor, nurse!" Panic on her fair face. "Come here, _quick_!"

Meanwhile, inside the room, Kira cursed the scarlet head. "Bitch…"

The maid entered again, this time with a doctor and two nurses. A tiny smile on her lips, more like a mockery to the brunette, though…

He glared at her, heart full of malice.

Just then, Cagalli and Lacus entered the room with haste.

"What happened?" The woman with the golden-coloured hair inquired, panicked.

"He got some complications. Thank god the doctor and the nurses just passed outside the room." At the same time, the redhead assured both females that everything was all right.

Kira watched the drama in front of him with brooding silence…

_**Moments later…**_

"I think we should leave, Lacus-sama. It's getting late now. He's okay, don't worry."

Her mistress nodded in agreement, although reluctance was on her face.

"Thanks for visiting, you two." Kira's sister sent both of them off, with a weak smile. The happening today was tiring enough for her.

Fllay bowed towards Cagalli. Lacus followed suit.

As Fllay rose, she gave a quick smile to the miserable-looking man on the bed. However, her gaze was ice-cold.

Then, together, the two females left the room.

As for Kira, he was busy in his own world…

"_**Hey, you know what? Meyrin said don't search for her anymore…"**_

The chocolate head didn't know how to react towards the news from her. How did he felt?

Sad? Grief?

Those feelings didn't come as he wanted.

"Kira, I have to go, too." Cagalli kissed his forehead. "I have to go to work now. Take care, OK?"

Her brother nodded weakly.

The door closed gently as his weary-looking sister exited the room.

"_**Don't search for me, too…"**_

How come that red-haired maid knew his lover's name? Oh, a correction. His _ex-lover_…

_By the way, she'd changed a lot…__My fault?_

Kira closed his eyes, trying to fix his confused brain. Shortly after that, he opened it, brows furrowed as he engaged in deep thinking.

"_**You yourself snuffed out the fire of our friendship…"**_

Somehow, his eyes came across a strand of hair lying not far from his side.

"_**I hate you…Kira Yamato..." **_

It was red in colour. The sight of it gave out a strange sickening feeling back in his mind. As if his two arms were torn off from his torso. He felt helpless.

"…_**from the bottom of my heart!"**_

Loneliness invaded every corner of Kira's heart…

* * *

A/N: Oh well, I tortured Kira again. Tell me how you think about this chapter. Any comments are welcomed. Your feedback will help me in doing the next chapter. 


	12. Tardy, But Better Than Never

* * *

A/N: Chapter 12, guys! Happy reading everyone!

* * *

Chapter 12: Tardy, But Better Than Never 

_**Kira's POV**_

Time sure fly fast, it has been months since I got whacked by those punks…

I'm still on my way of recovery and yes, my right leg is still encased in that stupid plaster; heavily scribbled and doodled by Cagalli and those annoying junior high school twins!

Yeah, those twins…

What's her name again? I mean the older one.

Lacus...

Enough of that…Even if new people entered my life; they cannot replace the old ones.

I lost all my old friends. Yeah, who thought that one action that I did could eliminate people that I known in just one night?

Dearka…Tolle…shit, if I were sober that night, both of you would still be with me right now!

Even, that yellow gorilla disappeared without a trace.

Honestly, I'd like to have Meyrin at my side now…

Unconsciously, I scratched me forehead with the grease-coated far-end of the spanner.

_**Several months earlier…**_

Meyrin put both of her hands on her mouth. Her purple eyes bulged when she saw the sight not far from her.

It was Kira, hobbling with crutches on his both side; a pretty bad sight for a death-defying daredevil in his glory days. He was accompanied by his sister, apparently on their way to some place.

The crimson-haired girl could not believe her eyes. Not wanting to stay there any longer, she fled from the scene, tears streaming down her face…

_**End of flashback…**_

Bah, forget about her, man. Between us, it is already over. She doesn't even give a damn thing what happened to me.

"Hey! No daydreaming on your job!"

Great…

That was The Kinda-Eccentric-But-He's-My-Boss-Anyway Guy – Mr. Fioleur. Strange name, isn't it? I never heard that kind of French name before.

Yeah…By the way, French are rare in Heliopolis.

Tall guy with thick glasses, his raven hair always done in curtained hair style and on top of that, he always wears black-coloured slacks and short-sleeved polo shirt, any colour.

That's Fioleur for you.

I answered him casually but loud enough for him to hear it. "I'm not slacking off, boss!"

Where was I?

Oh, yes. Happiness…do I really achieve it?

As the thought lingered in my head, my hand kept cranking on the spanner.

Oh God, I did it again…

First, with my own ex. Now, her…

I swept the problem under the carpet and…

"Boss, can I have a moment with you please?"

"Sure, Kira. What's bugging you?" The ever-present smile is on his face.

"I hope this is not too much a request but can you send me to a place this weekend?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You must be tired. Drink this." A glass of iced tea was given to a sweaty man, who was sitting on a chair, slumping on a well-lacquered, hardwood table.

"Thanks Miss…" He gladly received the drink from his employer. The drink was finished in no time.

"I told you many times not to call me 'Miss'." The woman in her 20s pouted. "Am I still a stranger to you?"

"Well, technically, yes. I don't know you well as you don't know me in depth."

"6 months are not enough for getting to know each other, eh?" She smirked. "Try again, say my name."

"Why are you so obsessed with trying to make me saying your name?" Clanging noise emitted from the now empty glass as the tanned man hit it with his fingers.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Slowly but surely, his lips curled into a sly smile.

"Hohohohoho…" Small laugh escaped his mouth, complete with a hand on it and foxy ears on his head.

"What's so funny?" She raised a brow. "Share it with me." Then, the woman moved towards him and sat next the now full-with-himself man.

"You like me, eh?" The foxy ears twitching like mad.

Her eyes bulged when she heard that.

"I take it as a 'yes', then…" He cupped her chin and brought it closer…

However, a yelp escaped from his mouth as her fingers ruthlessly pinched his vulnerable stomach.

"Silence doesn't mean I'm agreeing with you, baka!"

Owws and ouchs kept piling up as the assault on the stomach continued. He lay helplessly on the floor as the giggling woman put all of her weight on top of him, trapping the poor man further.

She seemed didn't have the intention to stop even though the man's face was already red because of pain and maybe other thing else…

"S…Stop it Miriallia! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Finally, he was able to escape her attacks after a lot of squirming and wriggling around. As he prepared to scram, unfortunately, his head met with the hard, solid feet of a nearby wooden table.

"Oh, bugger…" She exclaimed as a dull thud sound of a falling body was heard audibly.

The young woman named Miriallia walked towards the body, sprawled on the tiled floor, and then, she kneeled beside it.

"Tsk, tsk…if you just followed what I said earlier, your life would be easier, D…" Her right hand twirled his golden hair.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_**The weekends…**_

_Maybe visiting her is a bad idea after all…_Kira mentally kicked himself.

A dangerously sharp blade, cleverly disguised as the end part of a broom, already pointed threateningly towards the man, dangerously close to his throat.

"Oi…I come in peace…" He gulped. One drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. "Since when did you possess such a dangerous item?"

The young woman with fiery red hair immediately withdrew her weapon. It returned to its former position, at the end of the ordinary-looking broom.

"What do you want, Yamato?" The cherry head continued her cleaning. It was her usual routine of sweeping the area in front of the Clyne's Mansion's gate.

"Err…I want to see you." Kira was limping along the way, to get closer to her.

"I don't want to have any business with you, scum." She threatened to pull out the dagger again. Menacing look in her grey eyes added to the hostile aura that she was trying to project.

The brunette instinctively averted her murderous gaze. "I believe that I had unfinished business with you, Miss."

"Go away. Your presence here is unwelcome." Fllay turned her back from the brunette, who was trying his best to get her attention.

"By whom?" Cheerful tone was in his voice, trying to break the stiff atmosphere unfolding between him and her, although it was tinged with a hint of nervousness.

"Me." The sweeping stopped. She grudgingly lifted her head.

"Then, there's no problem." He guffawed.

Fllay pivoted to meet him, square in the face.

"Look here, Mister! I've no time for your shenanigans or anything related to that!" She practically shouted at him. Kira flinched a bit.

"Now, I'm going in. Goodbye."

The fiery-coloured hair young maid slowly went to the main gate and was about to enter it.

"Please wait, Fllay."

It was more like a pleading. The girl stopped dead in her tracks.

He paused, then slowly inhaling some air, as if to gain courage from it.

"I want you to hear me, Fllay."

Her body went stiff. _What is it?_

However, there was a little smirk on her tiny lips.

"It won't be worth listening, _Yamato_." Fllay laughed bitterly. She tried to put it as venomous as possible to deter him off.

The mockery of hers did not weaken the brown head's resolve, though. The amethyst gazed directly into the bluish silver eyes of her.

He steeled himself and saying it out loud.

"I would like to apologize for my misbehaviour towards you." Then, he bowed deeply, albeit with some difficulties due to his crutches.

Shortly after that, the body of his went straight again. "I know it is overdue but it greatly pained me to think and see you changed so much and I believed I'm the cause of it. I promise that kind of incident won't happen again."

The crimson-haired young woman just stood there, unable to speak.

"Let us be friends again, shall we?" Kira extended his right hand to her.

She could not find the words.

His hand still extended, waiting for her. "Well?"

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed him by the shirt. His body were violently tugged towards the fuming young maid. The crutches fell and the only thing that supported him was the girl who threatened to tear him into tiniest bits.

_Do I have to let him enter into my heart again?_

"It's more than half a year since that and only now you apologise to me?! Where's your head at, Yamato?!" Her hoarse shouting bombarded the brunette mercilessly. It was a wonder that no one even bothered to go out to the street after the entire ruckus she'd made, not even the security guard of the mansion, who sat not far from the hot spot.

He just shook his head and continued to enjoy the morning show in the radio.

_Lovers' fight, ka…_Azrael-san chuckled.

"I know, I know, Fllay…I'm dumb…I'm stupid…" Kira's face was full with regret.

Fllay brought him to the wall. Her face now matched her vermilion hair.

"Why now, Yamato? WHY NOW! You don't even move an inch of your lazy butt just to contact me, to apologize to me, to make everything clear for me…" She pounded his chest with her clenched fist, giving everything that she got. "…right after that day!"

The male youth, with his heavy plaster cast to support his body weight as he leaned on the wall, gritted his teeth and bearing all the pain she inflicted.

"Fllay, Fllay…listen..." His amethyst eyes bored into a pair of grey eyes of hers as he spoke. Her hands, shaking, tightly gripped his blue t-shirt.

"I know I should have never crossed the line that day and I'm so sorry that you got caught in it. Forgive me…that it took me so long to apologise…" His eyes gazed at the girl's, almost filled with tears.

She swallowed hard while their eyes fixed on each other.

Just then, Kira could not bear his weight anymore. He just slumped to the ground, bringing her down together with him. On top of that, he was sweating profusely.

_God, I forgot about his injuries!_ Panic spread all over Fllay's face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Kira…" The then savage hands turned gentle. Both of it quickly wiped off his trickling sweat down his face.

Dried lips of his forced a smile. "I deserved it, girl…"

"Baka…" His forced smile was met with her scowl. She was trying to make him comfortable.

"You know, I felt ashamed for being the person I am."

One of her finger immediately landed on his lips. "Shhhh…you're great person, mistakes are normal, just don't repeat it…"

"Yeah, I'm ready to try and…and never become that way ever again." A smile surfaced again. The sincerest he ever made.

She returned it with a grin and flicked his forehead. Just like what she always did to him in the beautiful days of yesterday. Her teeth-showing smile felt like a spring came over a frozen landscape of the brown head's heart.

Good mood was in the air. Now, it was a ripe time to patch things up again. Kira slowly extended his hand again to her.

The redhead looked at it, giggled and clasped it heartily; with both her hands.

"It's nice to be friends with you again, _Kira_." This time the way she spoke his name wasn't venomous. "Wait here, OK? I'll take your crutches." He nodded. She rose and headed to the mentioned stuff, bent over and picked it.

Kira thanked her as he received his 'extra legs'. The maid sat next to him, her right hand took the left hand of his in a flash.

"You know, losing my girlfriend was a wake-up call for me. Restart everything again...that's my aim. I felt kinda lonely these days…"

He paused for a while.

"Hey, you've met Meyrin, haven't you? Never had the chance to ask you…you know why."

The mention of that name made the cherry head a bit depressed. Seeing her reaction, Kira immediately agreed not to pursue the matter anymore.

"I'm okay, Kira." Her lips curled into a smile, albeit a weak one.

Next, before she even knew it, she became fidgety.

"Ne, How do you feel of me before this…I mean before _that_..." Fllay asked him in somewhat longing tone, hopeful that her expectation was not wrong.

The youth stared at her, as if it was his first.

"Of course, you're my friend, girl. Then, on that day, I felt a little blue. Sorry for letting it on you, though."

"Just a friend…" Her shoulders slouched a bit.

_You're wrong, Meyrin…_

"Well, never mind that. We're still friends, right?" Her grip on his hand tightened, refusing to let go.

_At least I can start all over again…_

"You bet, Fllay." Kira broke into laughter. Joining his joy, she giggled with him.

After all the laughter subsided, a thought struck the young maid's head.

"Hey, it's been a long time since I went to that burger place. Are you still working there?"

He gave her one sympathetic look. "Mwu is not here anymore, Fllay. I don't know where he has gone."

"I see…" She didn't hide her sadness or disappointment. "So, you're not a burger boy anymore, then…"

"Yeah…"

Both of them put their heads against the brick wall, feeling a little blue.

A lull ensued, only to be broken by the female.

"Ne…"

Kira swore that he heard Fllay cooing. Yes, she was and she never did that before. Eyebrows were raised.

"Ano ne…You're wrong, Kira. You thought I changed because of what you did to me, right?"

"What do you mean?" Question marks lingered around the man's head.

"Your action on that day did upset me, it really did."

"You're not answering me, girl." Kira moved closer to her.

"Forget it, punk." Fllay pinched his nose. "Yeah, you're right. You're a bad boy and bad enough to change me." At the same time she laughed, leaving poor young lad confused.

_Kira…I changed because I __tried to distance myself from you…I felt that I was unworthy for you, after all what Meyrin had said to me…_

_Meyrin,__ anyway, thanks for giving me this dumb guy…_

"Hey, how about I drop by to your place some day?" Good mood infected the crimson-haired lass. "Maybe I can fix you lunch, dinner or something."

"Thanks, Fllay but I still can manage…"

That answer earned him another flick to his poor forehead.

"Silly. Have you seen yourself in the mirror? Just let me help you. You don't have to act all tough."

Kira sighed, a sign of surrender. "I'm tired of Cagalli's cooking after all. Something new once in a while is okay for me. After all, I never tasted yours."

Blush.

"What're you blushing for?" Kira frowned.

Fllay immediately broke off from her blushing spell. "I…I'll come this Sunday." To lessen her flustered heart, her hand repeatedly patted him, made him look like a dog. "Be a good boy and wait for me, OK?"

"You're nice, girl." His head turned towards hers. The maroon-haired girl giggled in bashful manner. "More importantly, thanks for accepting me once more, Fllay. I thought I lost everything…"

His eyes suddenly lost all of its cheerfulness just now.

"Kira…" There was sadness in her voice, with a hint of concern.

He drew a deep breath. "Anyway, someone did say to me people always treat people around them for granted."

The redhead tried to take a good look at him but he avoided her gaze. His eyes were hidden by his bangs. Fllay slowly extended her left hand to reach for his all-glum face but the brunette immediately let go the maid's right hand.

"I gotta go, it's getting late now."

"Wait, are you walking back?" She asked worriedly.

"Nope, my new boss will fetch me." Kira gently assured her. "You just stay here and do your work, 'kay?"

Fllay grinned while flashing a V-sign. The chocolate-haired man flashed his own and then staggered all the way to the junction.

The girl watched him in silence as he went away from her. Fllay continued her sweeping as Kira disappeared from her sight.

Feeling a little empty, she peeked through her bangs for that guy.

_This is still__ not right…_

The maid hastily discarded her broom and began to run towards the man that left just now.

_I hope he's still here…_

This time, her hope was fulfilled. She called for the hobbling figure.

He turned towards the calling voice. Apparently, his boss' car was there, already waiting for him.

What happened next, Kira Yamato was unprepared for it.

Fllay Allster rushed towards him and…

Hugged him like there was no tomorrow. If it was not for his crutches, Kira would already fell to the ground, hard.

"B…Baka! What're you doing?!" His cheeks were burning. "My employer is here, ya know!"

Her face still buried in his chest, not wanting the moment to stop. The bewildered lad could felt that his chest slowly becoming warm and wet.

_She's crying?!_

"Fllay?" Concern was in his voice.

"I'm glad that things go back to normal between us." Her wet eyes met his.She quickly wiped it, though.

The man laughed nervously. "I appreciate that, girl but my boss is watching us right now, I think." He gestured at the car behind his back.

The maid immediately released her hold around him. Her fair skin now looked like a boiled lobster, red all over.

"Now, now…" Kira stroked her flaming hair gently. "I'm glad being friends with you again too, Fllay…" His hand now back to his crutches. "You can latch on me another day 'cos I'm going now."

She nodded. "Bye." The young lass waved at him, smiling, as he entered the almost grey, white car. "Send my regards to your sister."

"I will." The car window slowly moved upwards, concealing Kira's grinning face.

Then, the car sped off…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That's quite a lass, you got, son."

"She's not my girlfriend, boss." Kira laughed amiably.

Mr. Fioleur chuckled, joining the jolly mood.

"Her status as a friend won't last long, you know."

"Yeah, right…" The brunette rolled his eyes and exhaled noisily.

"What's her name?"

"Fllay…Fllay Allster." The youth opened the glove box compartment to check anything interesting inside there.

Normally, that Fioleur guy would give a hell of a salvo to anyone who opened that thing but today, he let him pass.

"Fllay Allster, hmm…"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Cagalli, I'm home!"

Kira released his grip on the latch of the front door, letting it to close for itself. He hobbled his way to the living room, expecting Cagalli to be there.

His assumption was correct.

_That's blonde hair alright…_

"Hey, retard! Where's my dinner?" The brunette slapped his sister's back, rather hard…

Water sprayed out from her mouth, in a rather comical fashion; making a mess to the carpet.

Then, Kira heard his room's door opened.

Out came a woman clad in body-fitting red tank-top and army green short pants.

"Slow down, bro…I'm just finished folding up your clothes…" Her eyes trailed to the wet spot on the carpet.

"Hey, who made that mess?!"

"If…If you are in there, Cagalli, then…then who is sitting here?" The blonde's brother stammered in fear. He realised the girl he smacked so hard in the back was **_not_** his sister after all.

The girl, also a blonde, gave Kira a vacant stare while wiping her mouth with her sleeves…

* * *

A/N: Sorry if this installment feels kind of lame…I just have a gut feeling about it. Tell me what do you think, OK? 


	13. Lovefilled Cooking & A Lost Ring

* * *

A/N: Happy New Year to all readers and I know it's late but Merry Christmas anyway. Thanks to the holidays, I can't write much. Yeah, it's strange but it's true. I found out that I'm busier during the holidays. Nevertheless, I managed to finish this long-delayed chapter. Tell me what you think about it, OK!

* * *

Chapter 13: Love-filled Cooking & A Lost Ring

"I'm Stellar, her friend at work." The flaxen-haired girl, almost Cagalli look-alike, gestured at Kira's younger sister. Awkward as it was but she tried to be friendly to him. To Stellar, Kira seemed to have a higher authority in the house.

"Nice to meet you, Ste…No, this is not what I mean! What are you doing here anyway?!" Kira slammed on the dinner table, hard.

Cagalli quickly intervened.

"Don't be rude. Well, she got involved in some circumstances…" She paused for a while, staring at the ceiling then continued. "So, she stayed here…" Subsequently, a wink appeared on her left eye. "…for a while."

The hostile reaction put forward by the brunette completely pissed of the other blonde. No more miss nice gal here.

"No need to sugar coat it, girl." Her friend grasped her left hand. Afterwards, the other Loussier girl looked at Kira with her eyebrows knitted. However, she just relaxed and her voice was deathly calm.

"I ran from my home and because Cagalli was my only co-worker that I could trust, so I decided to stay here. How long I'm going to stay? Maybe for long, maybe not, who knows? I assure you, dude, I'm not a freeloader and yes, I knew that thought was playing in your mind just now. And please stop opening and shutting your mouth like a fish; wanting to interrupt me. I'm not finished yet. Now, please excuse me."

Stellar stood up, went to the cabinet, grabbed a glass, filled it with tap water and drank it in a gulp.

"Errr…Stellar-chan, there's boiled water, just next to you." Cagalli pointed the kettle for her, big sweatdrop on her head.

"Never mind, already get used to it. Let's continue, shall we?" She made herself comfortable on her former seat.

Grudging silence was held by the brown head.

"OK, Kira-san…" Stellar glanced at Cagalli for a moment, to confirm that she was getting the name right. "I thought about this a long time ago and if I've got stuck in this kind of situation, I swear that I'll make myself useful during my stay in any house with any people in it."

The other blonde crossed her arms, nodding with her eyes closed.

"See, Kira? Just let her stay. Stellar-chan is such an honest person and there's no need to doubt her."

Her brother stared at the ceiling for a while. Slowly, his lips motioned to spew out answers.

"Yeah…you can stay…hope you don't mind staying in this small, one-storey house with only one bathroom." The chocolate-haired man got a smug in his face.

"That's cool enough for me. No prob." A nonchalant reply came out from the red-eyed, a little frail-looking girl.

Kira had a reason to doubt her due to her appearances. As if she was a druggie…On top of that, she supposed to be at school, right?

Moments later, three of them could not find anything to say, waiting for one another to speak.

"Hey, what if I stay here forever?" Her ruby red eyes bulged, eyebrows raised.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Knock, knock.

A woman in a pale green water-coloured one-piece dress stood there, waiting patiently for an answer. She glanced at her groceries. _Wow, I think I'm overdoing it…_

Two plastic bags, full with stuff were leaning on the wooden door.

"Kira…It's me, Fllay." The cherry head spoke as sweet as possible. She knew this will be the perfect opportunity to get Kira's attention.

Yet, the person she hoped to appear didn't move a muscle to greet her.

Pout surfaced on her face.

"Hey, punk! Can't you go a bit faster?!" Her palm wiped off sweat from her forehead. Then, she brushed some dirt off her red bangs.

The air surrounding her was steamy, and humid. Hot night day was coming.

Abruptly, the door opened.

Kira was on the other side, looking irritated.

"I'd already said that this damn door was unlocked!"

Fllay picked the groceries up and just walked past the fuming brunette. A cocky smile was on her face.

Being a proper lady with Kira surely won't work.

"A gentleman must open the door for ladies, stupid." She headed for the kitchen.

The door was closed but Kira's mouth did not.

"Piece of shit…" Mumbling and groaning continued as he hobbled to the TV set, sat down slowly and went channel-surfing.

The maid could not help herself but to giggle, once in the kitchen, of course. She immediately packed all the things she bought, chiefly intended for Kira and his sister as she promised a few days before. However, the latter's absence compelled her to bring forward questions to the former.

"Hey, where's Cagalli-san?" Fllay stuck her head out of the kitchen's entrance.

"Working." Kira didn't bother to look at her. His amethyst eyes were glued to the idiot box.

"Sheesh…what a pity." The crimson-haired lass returned to her station. Deep in thoughts, she was.

_Ignoring me…_It stung her heart. A frown etched on her face.

_All he can do all this time is to hurt me…_

However, there was a problem ahead of her that needed her immediate attention. Her eyes were fixed on the kitchen table; it was full with food stuff, raw materials needed for her cooking which apparently too much for just a dinner for two.

Hands folded into defensive posture, head tilted sideways.

The redhead was deep in thoughts…

"Damn…" Fllay cursed; barely audible.

_**Few moments later**__**…**_

"Damn…I forgot to buy my favourite juice!" Kira cursed; audible enough to bring down the house.

"Shut up, Yamato!" The redhead shouted back. "Forgetting that measly juice doesn't mean it's the end of the world!"

"Hey, this show won't be nice without that juice, damn it!" Kira hastily grabbed his crutches and worked his way towards his own room.

_Dumbass…_Fllay continued her chopping. Now, the carrots were neatly diced and ready to be boiled.

Meanwhile, Kira got out from his room and went to the front door.

"I'm going out for a while, Fllay!"

Hearing this, she hastily slowed down the stove fire and immediately ran towards the front entrance.

"Be careful outside, OK?" Miss Allster carved out her best smile on her orange-flavoured lip gloss- covered lips. Strangely enough, red roses appeared around her as she reminded him, her hand still holding the ladle.

The shoujo-ish scene didn't last long, though. The fresh, blossoming red roses were soon withered and reduced to ash by some insensitive person.

"What's wrong with you? I'm not going far…" Kira creased his forehead. "I can take care of myself. More importantly, your cooking needs your attention."

Fllay still maintain her smile although a nerve had already popped out.

"I'm going, 'kay?"

Then, the front door gently closed from the outside. Her cheeks and ears suddenly felt very warm.

_It felt as if we are husband and wife…_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Aren't you worried leaving your brother alone in the house?" Stellar inquired Cagalli while sweeping the floor.

"Don't worry, he can manage. He's my brother, after all." The blonde lined up a number of canned foods inside the metal rack.

"Oh…" Stellar paused for a while.

Cagalli peered at her through her glasses, smirking.

"Being a worrier doesn't fit you, Stellar-chan."

The other blonde stared at her lazily.

_**At the same time, in the Yamato's kitchen…**_

"Everything's done!"

The cherry head happily looked at the macaroni casserole and the vegetable soup that she had prepared earlier.

"_Fllay, this is delicious!" Kira beamed while devouring more of the casserole she'd prepared._

"_I'm so happy, Kira…" Her cheeks reddened._

_Kira slowly put down his spoon and closed his eyes._

"_Kira?" Puzzled by his strange reaction, the young maid reached out for his hand._

_He immediately grasped it and pulled her towards him. Fllay was startled a bit by his aggressive moves._

"_You turned me on, Fllay, my dear…Your cooking did miracles, love…" The chocolate head caressed her short, fiery red hair. _

_To her astonishment and excitement, Kira nearing his lips towards hers…_

"Kyaaa….What am I thinking!" Both of her hands covered the now crimson-coloured cheeks of hers. It was steaming hot.

Just then, reality replaced fantasy. At that moment, she found out that there was one more thing to do and then, her work was done.

She had to prepare drinks.

Off she went to the nearby cabinet; her lips seemed never got tired of smiling- as if it was plastered permanently on her face.

But, Fate, as ever, always played around with her. This time, It messed with most essential thing for humans to have during the night.

Fllay's hands were about to open the top cabinet when the lights suddenly went off. Simultaneously, a shrill scream and a loud crashing noise were heard from the kitchen.

Then, the lights went on again, as abruptly when it went out just seconds ago, prompting a groan of frustration to come out from the young woman's mouth.

She sat there, on the floor, all wet and sticky. The concentrated orange juice, its purpose was supposed to make the tonight's dinner complete, had just spilled over her.

"Great. This is just great." The empty bottle of the spilled orange juice was promptly thrown away by the sour-faced lass.

The Allster girl took her time to go to the bathroom; foul mood had run out her energy to walk. Moreover, Kira was sure taking his time to get that measly juice that he craved for.

The bathroom's door closed behind her and she quickly took off her pale green water-coloured one-piece dress. The 19 years old eyes were roving here and there, in searching for a bucket.

"My precious bra! It even got stained!" She lamented. Sorrow turned into anger.

Fuming, she threw the poor bra into the bucket that she had already filled with water. So, there it was, happily joining with its other soiled comrades.

Sticky feeling upon her body increased her anger meter. Fllay removed her plain blue cotton panties and hung it over the aluminium railing on the wall.

Without any delays, she went straight to the shower.

Steam could be seen rising from the maid's body and head as the cold water contacted her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I got to pee…I got to pee…"

Kira tried to quicken his pace although he was held back due to his 'temporary disabilities'.

"Why don't you heal a bit faster?!" His poor right leg got the undeserved cursing from him.

Nevertheless, he arrived at his home. When he entered in, eerie silence greeted him.

"Where's the fuck is Fllay?" He let out a snort as he looked at the kitchen. However, uncomfortable feeling began to surface again in his lower part; to remind him of his true purpose to come back as soon as possible just now.

He rushed towards the toilet and hey, going to the toilet was never this exciting, he thought.

Fllay stared at him with her grey eyes, squinting while trying to make sense what was happening around her. Distress was on her fair face; further confusing Kira and her right hand was inside the toilet bowl.

The brunette gulped. The urge to pee disappeared, someone turned off that switch and inadvertently turned on the other _switch_.

The sight of the naked crimson-haired lass, almost Venus herself, overwhelmed him…

_**What happened earlier…**_

Drizzles of water continued to pour upon Fllay's body, removing the orange juice from her. The coolness of the water also helped her to lower down her temper, which was throbbing like mad due to the situation that she had gone through earlier.

Her eyes abruptly opened as she remembered something.

"I forgot to take off mom's ring…"

Gently, she took off the mentioned ring from her finger and put it on top of the toilet's water tank.

After that, she continued her shower and shamelessly used Cagalli's lime-scented shampoo, which happened to be her favourite.

Few minutes later, the redhead was done. She went for her ring and at that time, Fllay was sure that today was the most unlucky day for a maid like her.

The lights went off again and she groaned…again. Her right hand was already outstretched to take the ring and the world went dark, as if wanting her to fail to take the ring.

It did.

Due to absence of illumination, Fllay's hand accidentally knocked off the object that she desired to take.

She gasped and panicked as she heard a faint clanging sound as the metal hit something hard; followed with a faint plopping sound.

Lo and behold, the lights were on again. The cherry head let out a roar of fury as she realized that her most precious possession – the only memento that her late mother gave her, went down the toilet bowl.

Fllay frantically searched inside the toilet, hoping to reunite with her ring once again…

_**Back to the present time…**_

"One question, Miss; what are you doing? All naked and wet like that…"

An ear-splitting shriek served as an answer for Kira's question- mercilessly assaulting his poor eardrums.

He cringed for a while as the young woman instinctively covered her bosom with her arms.

"GET OUT!" She screamed her order of the day, umm…sorry, night. The chocolate head, however, didn't budge, even for a measly inch.

Fllay realised that he was in the seventh heaven. She wished she got another two hands.

"What are you looking at, PERVERT?!" A bar of soap flew towards the man's head. As expected of Fllay Allster, it missed.

"You've dropped something, right?" The punk brows raised, smirk on his face.

She inhaled her breath deeply and combined with her death glare, quickly erased the conceited face of Kira's and replaced it with an 'uh-oh' expression.

"OK, OK, I will help you but please, for my poor eyes' and my little brother's sake, go cover yourself first." The brunette looked at the other direction, having a great difficulty to hide his awkwardness.

Fllay instantly felt as if she was being boiled.

"I forgot to take a towel…" She muttered; head hung low but high enough for her to catch a glance at the also-blushing man.

"There's one in my room. Take it."

She quickly left the bathroom and she passed Kira, lime scent entered Kira's nose; a very exciting experience for his olfactory sense.

Got high, which was Kira's first.

Strange...At that moment, he remembered his sister and at that moment, too, he banished the thought.

Image of Fllay naked and his sister's usual scent gave birth to an imagination that was not suitable for minors and also a taboo to any siblings around the world.

Kira didn't have the time to entertain such thoughts. He quickly emptied his water tank, shuddering with relief as his urine went down the toilet bowl. Feeling satisfied, he flushed the toilet.

_Crap…_Colour was drained from his face. Exactly at the same time, Fllay appeared behind him and this time, she covered herself with the familiar yellow towel.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" Another round of shrill scream bombarded the man-with-crutches' ears.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come, take some…" Kira gave out the best puppy eyes he could muster, to persuade the chef to eat her own creation. A small chunk of the casserole, in a spoon, was extended towards Fllay's mouth. The former was anticipating to be eaten.

But the latter just gave out a small sigh.

_**Fllay's flashback, her POV…**_

_Mommy is leaving me, again__. I was still 11 at that time and yes, I hate it when she left me and my sister alone. Since Daddy gone, Mommy always busy._

_But, I understood why she did all of these. It's for us.  
_

_My stepfather, little sis and I sent Mommy to the airport that evening. It was raining cats and dogs. Before leaving to the departure hall, Mommy bent over and kissed my forehead. Then, she gave me something shiny._

"_Keep this and promise me, never lose it, OK?" She stroked my head gently._

"_I will, Mommy. Love you…" I hugged her tightly. Tears threatened to roll down my face but I courageously tried to hold it back. _

"_Love you, too, dear. Mommy has to go, alright? Bye bye…"_

_I let go of her body and waved her goodbye. She waved back and slowly disappeared from my sight._

_Mommy was never heard or seen again since that day._

_**End of flashback…**_

"Kira, if you want me to have a proper dinner with you, at least, please let me be in decent clothes. Not sitting on this table with only with this stupid yellow towel!" She glared at him, still feeling angry over his carelessness just now.

The brunette grinned sheepishly. He withdrew the spoon.

"But your clothes are still wet…"

"I know that, moron. Why don't you give me Cagalli's clothes?"

"She locked her room, as usual." The man ate the casserole. "Hey, this is delicious!" He beamed.

"Thanks…" A weak smile was on her lips. This was not like what she imagined in her la-la land minutes ago.

Her lack of enthusiasm killed off Kira's appetite.

"Fllay, I'm sorry…" His hand touched hers.

"You're forgiven…But, that was my _only_ keepsake…from my late mother."

"I'm**so** sorry…" His head drooped low, in shame.

Silence on her part. Her eyes only stared at the casserole that she had prepared with much love. Thank god she liked Kira so much, if not, he would be reduced to a mass of blood and meat by now.

_Why I like such a dumbass, anyway?_

"Finish your meal, punk. That will make me feel better…" Giggles came out.

Kira smiled broadly.

"Join me, then." He handed a plate to her. Reluctance at first but she relented afterwards, due to Kira's continued effort to cheer her up. As she took a bite…

"Hey, this is great!" Her eyes bulged.

"You're a great cook, Fllay." His gently-said compliment made her blush.

"Mou, Kira…" Her eyes gazed at his while sporting a pout. Her cheeks all puffed up.

The young man just gave out a small laugh, further embarrassing the redhead.

However, good times didn't last long. Clicking sound was heard from the front door's direction. Both of them looked at each other. Someone was trying to get in.

The young man could hear two females' voices from outside.

"Fuck, Cagalli's home! Quick, hide in my room! Now!" He whispered urgently.

Fllay nodded and immediately made her way for his room.

Kira hastily went for the front entrance as Cagalli opened the front door slowly. She looked tired and sleepy. On the other hand, Stellar was still lively and energetic.

"Yo, still not asleep?" She asked, apparently in jolly mood.

_No wonder…_He mentally spoke. Stellar was holding a can of beer.

"Nope…" The chocolate head put up a poker face, the best act that he could do now. "There's a casserole and some veggie soup in the kitchen."

"Yuck, veggie." The Loussier girl stuck out her tongue. On the other hand, his sister's reaction was complete opposite of hers.

"Wow!" Cagalli recovered from being lethargic to the one who made the first dash to the kitchen.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kira gently closed his door and locked it. His lips curled into a weak smile.

Fllay sat on his bed, still in the towel.

"So?"

Kira didn't answer her question straight away. For some strange reason, he felt angsty inside, when looking at her serene face.

Her crimson hair reminded him very much of a girl that he used to love. Yes, he did feel that before but now, it pained him more when looking at her.

_Maybe it's better for us__ if I hadn't made peace with her…_

"Wear my old clothes over there." He pointed at the closet nearby. "Some of it may fit you."

"Thanks." The cherry head rose with a grin.

She opened the closet and started to shift through the various clothes there.

"I wonder which one fits me the most?"

Suddenly, she gave out a shriek, which was immediately silenced by Kira's hand. His other hand wrapped around her slim waist, latching onto it like a magnet.

Fllay's heart raced, fearing for the worst. Then, his deep, manly voice resonated down her ears.

"What would you do…if I tell you that I want to stay like this and not let go?"

He even didn't give her time to react to his question. Her body was spun around in one swift move and voila, her face met his. Then, fear turned into astonishment.

Kira Yamato was crying.


	14. Enter the Pink, Red Follows After

* * *

A/N: OMG, LEMON! (Should I be happy for this?) Enjoy the ride and don't forget to R&R!

* * *

Chapter 14: Enter(ing) the Pink, Red Follows After 

Fllay just stood there, in complete bewilderment, as Kira's tears continued to fall like rain. She didn't know how to react when a usually aggressive and insensitive man like that brunette shed an unmanly tears. On top of that, she never seen a man cried before. Now, she realised that he was actually a stranger to her.

Nevertheless, she tried to break the awkwardness first.

"What happened, Kira? Tell me." The cherry head caressed his cheeks gently. The hand of his caught hers, squeezing it tight but not tight enough to cause Fllay pain.

"I…I…" The brown-coloured hair youth struggled to intone his real feelings. However, the continued pouring of tears and hiccups due to crying hampered him. Instead, he just gripped Fllay's hand with more intensity.

_Have to do something…_The woman thought.

"Kira…sit on your bed. Please…"

Her soothing voice calmed the older man a bit. He obeyed her and slowly sat on his bed with Fllay's help.

Sat closely next to him, the maid extended her right hand to reach him and settled it down on his lap. She didn't care about her half-nakedness- the only concern of hers was him.

Her kindness really broke the dam.

Seeing him getting worse, Fllay, tried hard to resist her own tears, took the brunette's head to her lap. Losing control, he completely buried his face into her thighs. Soon after, she completely wrapped him in her protective embrace.

After a while, Kira's crying subsided. He got up, bit by bit, and turned his head to meet her eyes. Amethyst gazed passionately towards the grey.

"Sorry…"

"For what?" Caring smile etched on her lips.

"For being such a crybaby…" He smiled, too. Eyes all red and puffed up. The brunette continued to look at her, completely lost with himself. She realised this and promptly avoided his intense gaze, her fair cheeks flushed.

"You know, it pains me to see you…it's not like I hated you but…"

The redhead quickly interjected, head hung low. "I'm no Meyrin…" With eyes looking sad, she played with her fiery red hair, simultaneously savouring its limey scent.

Suddenly, her eyes shut tight, mouth slightly opened and her body distanced a bit from Kira's, to his confusion.

"ACHOOO!!!"

_God, this is stupid…_

"Silly me…" Giggles escaped her pink mouth while lightly punched her own head. "I should…"

Kira's lips caught hers. She was shocked by his sudden move and naturally, tried to resist. Moreover, his arms have already wrapped around her towel-clad body, providing her the much-needed warmth that she searched for.

Gradually, Fllay let him took control of everything. The redhead just couldn't deny him, even as he caressed her here and there. She did dream this moment to come true.

It was too late to turn back now. His every touch was intoxicating.

The brunette, breathing heavily, moved to her neck, went on to give her a bite there. At the same time, his fingers slid in between her legs and slowly but surely, fingered her love button. It gave her electric jolts, soon after she let out a moan of tremendous pleasure.

_God, this punk sure knows how to push the right button! _She gasped for air, the feeling that he just gave her was just too terrific.

Her sexy reaction further agitated the male youth and at the same time, emboldened him.

The man's mouth parted her neck. Visible, red marks left there in his wake. Fllay, could not restrained herself anymore gave him another round of lusty kiss. Kira, unbridled anymore, began to take off the yellow towel. Then, he threw it carelessly aside.

He drew a very deep breath. The sight of blushing, nubile, female body was simply too much for a man like him. Let instinct took the helm.

Now fully bare, Fllay instinctively covered her breasts with one arm. She didn't understand why the hell she had to cover herself like that.

_I want Kira to see everything…_

As for him, her action was…was breathtakingly _cute_. Without any sign of stopping, the fully aroused man continued his attack on her gate of love.

_This is not fair…_Fllay initiated her own attack, too. Her hands clumsily took off his trousers, boxers, all; revealing his already blood-filled little 'beast'. How about his shirt?

_To hell with that. First thing first. 'You' must be punished!_

Kira's lucky little brother was subjected to intense pleasure as Fllay stroked it. Gently at first and then steadily gained pace. Mutual pleasuring activity ensued as the two 'friends' locked in a hungry kiss.

She was never this passionate before, especially in birds and bees business. She never felt so much love in it, not even her past experiences.

Fllay regretted that she was not virgin. Tears of lamentation trickled down her cheeks.

He broke first from their passionate kiss as he felt salt entering his mouth.

"What's wrong Fllay?"

Sniffle, then followed by a shocking, earth-shattering revelation.

This event was supposedly took place but she was the one who held back.

_Sorry, Kira…I lied…_

"Don't worry…there's nothing happened. I…I was just being overwhelmed…" The cherry head quickly wiped off the tears she shed and brought out a grin.

The 20 years old man was about to say something but he was abruptly being hugged by the one-year-younger-than-him young woman. Her weight caused both of them came down crashing to the comfy bed.

Now, balance of power now tipped to Fllay's side as she lay on top of him.

"Just enjoy the night, Kira…" She purred. "With that cast, you can't move much. I'll take care of all of it…"

In no time, the brunette's little brother made himself comfortable inside her moist love sheath.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kira hastily handed over the lass on top of him his pillow. What they did tonight must not be discovered at all cost!

With the pillow pressed hard into her face, Fllay let out a loud but muffled, scream as a massive orgasm hit her. The man came right after her, trying very hard not to let a loud cry.

Exhausted, the young woman with fiery red hair lay lazily on top of the chocolate head's well-built chest. It felt sticky and steamy, thanks to the sweat.

Both of them were panting and breathing heavily. Neither side spoke.

Fllay could felt Kira's seed flowed from her most intimate part of her body. It was warm.

_Thank god…I've just had my period…_

The thought of carrying his baby in her made the Allster girl breathless.

She loved him but did he felt the same for her?

The maid rose and parted from his body. Afterwards, she sat next to the man and watched him with forlorn.

Kira realised that she was looking at him. He sat on the bed, once again with Fllay's help.

_I never thought it will come to this…_The youth put one hand on his forehead, spacing out again.

"I…I love you, Kira." Her sudden confession brought him back to the real world, with eyes bulged. As he turned to see her face, Fllay already hugged him tight.

Even with her sincerest display of love, she couldn't prevent the happening of her worst fear.

"I…I just can't accept you yet…I simply don't _love_ you, Fllay…"

_**Meanwhile…**_

"What's wrong, Stellar-chan?" Cagalli rubbed her eyes and rose from her bed when she realised the younger blonde sat in her sleeping bag, on the floor.

The ruby red-eyed blonde just put her chin on both her knees, which were hugged by her arms.

"Go to sleep, Cagalli-sempai. Stellar is alright…"

Kira's younger sister, who was too sleepy anyway, quickly obeyed what her junior said. In less than a minute, she already checked in into Dreamland.

As for Stellar, she still felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. Confused by her sudden mood swing, she tried to get up and went to kitchen to get something to drink but cancelled her intention.

She went back to sleep soon after but not without a monologue before that.

_Why __Stellar felt very sad?_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Fllay had already dressed in Kira's white and red t-shirt, apparently too big for her. Meanwhile, the owner of the shirt just stared at the ceiling.

The redhead didn't know what to do. She can't sleep; she can't go back home either. It would be suicidal if she went home in just Kira's shirt and her panties.

_I don't like this. The air…was so thick and heavy between us…it felt completely different a moment ago…I __want to go back to that moment just now…_

She just stared at her wet dress, which were left hanging to dry on a makeshift railing made of broomstick.

The sound of blanket rustling was heard from her back's direction. Kira got up, albeit with much difficulty.

Fllay wanted to help him but her body just felt too heavy.

_I want to die…_She buried her face into her knees.

Her heart almost skipped a beat when he made himself comfortable beside her; went wet clothes-watching with her.

_What to talk, what to talk???_

Unknown to both of them, they shared the same thoughts.

Kira, ever the bad boy, attack her usual weak spot: the back of her neck.

His tickling made Fllay shrieked. But, the fun was temporary. Soon, they back to their previous 'silent mode'.

"I'm…" This time, both of them tried to break the silence but in the end embarrassed themselves.

"Ladies first…" The brown head rubbed his nose, with a sheepish grin.

"I insist that you speak first. You are older than me, right?" The woman with a strong lime scent flicked his forehead; also had a reddish colour on her cheeks.

"Whatever…" Kira gave out a small laugh. Then, he went sombre. "See that line?"

"Which one?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Figuratively speaking, girl." His rough hand quickly patted her head. "I mean…I should never cross the line…You're my friend."

What he uttered next greatly saddened the young maid.

"I wish I could take back the moment earlier…"

She didn't mean to be rude but what he said was too much.

"You mean that you've regretted of doing it? Don't you feel anything?" Her grey eyes were soon filling up with tears. She grasped his hands, lightly squeezed it.

Didn't know how to answer her, the brunette was. Her questions had stolen his speech and his quietness put an enormous strain on the now miserable lass. It was killing her so much.

"You're c-c-cruel, Kira…so cruel. How could y-y-you…" Kira held a melancholic look as she engulfed him in her tight embrace, unwilling to let go. "I love you…I like you even though you're such a jerk…"

Sweatdrop appeared on his head.

"You know…I even attempted to take you away from your e-e-ex…because I like you so much!" Her quiet sobs threatened to transform into a loud wail.

Alarmed by this, a pair of arms quickly wrapped Fllay and rocked her until she calmed down. However, his attempt worsened her condition. She was inconsolable. Kira's chest became soaking wet in no time. Fllay understood; she couldn't be too loud. His chest would suffice in become the muffler of her wailings.

Once again, the bitterness of guilt was tasted by the man who has already broken the heart of another woman. Even if he tried, he couldn't let her enter his heart.

Love couldn't be forced.

If he'd accepted her, god, he couldn't bring himself to think about it.

A person who always took things for granted should not love a kind woman such as Fllay. She even had a heart for a dumbass like him.

_Why I am so stupid?_

"Kira…" Her thick-sounded voice had broken his stupor.

"What is it, Fllay?" Amethyst gazed gently at the grey.

He was not prepared for it. Without warning, the crimson-haired woman crashed her lips to his in a gentle kiss.

She was searching and searching and searching…

But, it eluded her.

The thing called Love. It was not in him…

"I understand…" She broke off from the kiss. Kira, on the other hand, averted her gloomy face. However, her hand brought his face to re-establish contact with hers.

"It's okay if you can't love me. I know I'm not the one for you and it saddens me to know that…" Finally, the cherry head smiled. With a great effort, though.

"I…"

She put a finger on his lips. "There's no need for you to say a word about it anymore…"

"But, I've used you!"

"I understand your loneliness…and I glad that I can help you a bit." A fresh, thin trail of new tears streamed down her fair cheeks. "You know, I'm turning 20 soon. I want you to celebrate it with me…" She quickly wiped of her tears with the back of her hands. Soon after, she brought herself closer to him.

"Still, Kira Yamato, in my heart, I still love you and I swear I will try to win your heart at all cost!" She breathed to his left ear, her words set aflame with burning determination.

A tender kiss was planted on his cheeks and forehead.

"Fllay…"

Just then, her grey eyes spotted an object that she desperately wanted to hold, on Kira's long-unused study table. Immediately, Fllay broke her embrace and ran towards the thing and grabbed it.

Kira shot his head around to see what the woman was up to. It horrified him greatly.

The redhead had his leather belt in her hands. She snapped the thing; its leathery, cracking sound gave out goosebumps all over his body.

"Don't ask me why, Kira, but you really deserve this for **hurting** my heart." An evil smile was imprinted across her lips.

The Yamato guy chanted a silent prayer, he won't regret it if he died by her hands. Call it bravado if you want.

_**Months later…**_

It turned out that words just remained as words. No action was taken. Fllay turned 20 but without Kira to celebrate it. She chose to distance herself from him and apparently, he did the same, at least by how she saw it.

Her hands were busy washing the dishes. Faint sounds of chinaware gently hit each other was heard.

Since that _night_, she never met him again. Hell no, after what she'd done.

_I'm will be embarrassed to death if I see him again…after all my confession was rejected right after that, that…_

"Fllay onee-chan? You look red." A voice startled her, causing her to spew out profanities.

After she had done her cursing, the owner of the voice laughed like there was no tomorrow.

"Meer!" The maid fiercely reprimanded her, causing the latter to shrink into nothingness. The usual big sister Fllay that the girl used to know would never be angry like this, even if she and her older sister made fun of her.

Realising of her being overboard, the crimson-haired woman clad in her usual black maid uniform quickly apologised to her mistress, incessantly.

"Mou, Fllay onee-chan is in bad mood doesn't mean that onee-chan can let it out on me." Meer frowned and then walked towards the fridge. She took out a green apple and promptly ate it. Her face immediately became contorted by the sourness of the apple.

The older woman laughed nervously. At that moment, she wiped her wet hands and posed a question to the now-sitting girl.

"Where's your sister? Isn't she with you?"

Meer put down her half-eaten apple to answer her.

"Oh, Lacus said she wanted to have a walk." Suddenly, a pair of foxy ears sprouted from her pink head, cheeky giggles and grin accompanying it.

Fllay, brows raised, was puzzled by her mistress' strange behaviour. She wanted to ask but Meer had already left the kitchen pronto.

_**Meanwhile…**_

Kira's shoulder slouched, deep in thoughts.

_W__hy are you avoiding me?_

He put down his wrench and cleaned his grease-covered hands. Then, he grabbed a bottle of water and drank it.

"Let's close the shop now, boy." Mr. Fioleur smiled at him as he approached Kira from behind.

"Yes, boss."

_But…I'm too embarrassed to see her again…_

Initially after the incident, he wanted to see her again but in the last minute, he got cold feet and chickened out. The same thing happened over and over again as he attempted to pay her a visit and finally, he gave up the attempt to repair things with the red-haired woman.

"What's with that long face?" A female voice greeted him. He turned to meet the voice and sighed at the sight.

"I have no time to play with you, Lacus."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Even if he was in a bad mood, he didn't have the right to yell at me…" The young girl in the school uniform walked home, looking dejected. Her long, pink hair fluttered along the wind.

Her leg absent-mindedly kicked a pebble; sometimes lightly, sometimes strongly. Maybe it was too strong because today, the seemingly simple action had landed her into trouble.

"Hey, what's this?" A burly man knitted his brow as he stared down at her. His tall, lanky friend followed suit. Lacus gulped.

_Uh-oh…_

"I-I-If you don't mind, good s-s-sir, I have to go back h-h-home now. I-I-It's getting dark and m-m-my father will be angry if I arrive at home l-l-late." She stammered and in the process, earning a booming laughter and a sneer from those two.

"Hoh?" The other thin man purposely lengthened the vowel. "Ya think ya can git away with this, don'cha? I say that ya have to stay with us b'cos you have hurt my brother's head…"

"Then, I'm so, so, so sorry…" The girl bowed deeply. Adrenaline came rushing in.

Noticing that she wanted to run, the slender man who stood next to the huge man promptly grabbed Lacus' arm and pulled her towards him. She shrieked with fear and tried to scream on top of her lungs but soon after, she went silent with terror as a knife was being flashed dangerously close to her beautiful face by the bigger man in front of her.

"Shut up, kiddo." His huge body cast a shadow on the helpless girl. He smacked his parched lips in lust. "Hey, bro…they say that deflowering a virgin will make you live longer…"

_Papa…papa…_Lacus quietly hoped that all of this was just a dream. Divine providence won't save her ass, she was very sure of it.

Instead, a mortal saved her butt this time.

"Ugh, I hate loli-lovers." With one clean punch, the burly man went down in a heap. Realising that his fighting chance was reduced to zero, the scrawny man who held Lacus immediately scram in fear.

"Peh. If you fuckers want some good actions, don't take this girl! She's flat!" The brunette shouted at the slowly-disappearing figure.

Even though Kira directly insulted her, the pink princess just couldn't hide her immense joy of being saved. She ran towards her saviour and he was quickly engulfed in her tight embrace.

"Oh, Kira…Kira…Kira…" Her face buried deep in his chest.

"Thank god that my leg is already healed. If not, you're a goner, Missy."

Shortly after that, the pink head even showered him with kisses.

"That's enough, little brat." The brunette pushed her over, with a great effort. However, Lacus kept clinging on him, to his dismay.

"Hey, behave yourself! Little kids should be respectful towards their elders, you know?"

Unfortunately, Siegel Clyne's daughter didn't lend him her ears.

Kira heaved a deep breath. "I'll walk you home, OK?"

Lacus happily nodded.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Fllay onee-chan, Fllay onee-chan!"

Our cherry head never thought that this evening was such a bad day to sweep the street in front of the gate. Her hand gripped tight her hidden knife inside her trusty broom. Hey, maybe spilling blood today wasn't such a bad idea…

"For my 15th birthday, I already found a great present for myself!"

"Hoh?" Fllay suddenly found out that she sounded like the man he hated most; the very man who let her experience the _living hell_. "So, this is your present? I'm glad for you…"

"Bingo!" Without warning, the pink-haired teenage girl planted a kiss on the unfortunate person's right cheek. Instead of sending him into the seventh heaven, it sent him into the deepest pit of hell. Colour soon drained off from his face as he saw the deadliest glare that the cherry head ever showed to him.

"I love him, Fllay onee-chan!" Lacus continued to put on her lovey-dovey expression.

"Congratulations, Lacus-sama…"

Kira, sweating cold to the max, swore that he saw an enormous killing aura from the maid.

_**Hours later…**_

The chocolate head staggered when he walked towards the living room. Without warning, a female blonde crashed towards him, causing him to fall hard to the ground.

"See? This is Stellar new boyfriend!" The girl clung to him by his neck.

"What the fuck?" The brunette was not in the mood for a joke soon had the colour drained off from his face, once again.

"So…this is him. Go to hell, motherfucker…" A raven-haired youth cocked a gun, aiming at him in a point-blank range, clicking and ready to fire.

* * *

A/N: There you go, people. My first fic also become my first attempt on producing lemon. Initially, I never thought of making lemon but the idea suddenly popped out and voila! (Thanks to NoshMono and Irui for their advices about the 'T to M' thing.) Tell me what you think, OK? See you all next time!

* * *


	15. Strike Your Problem Right in Its Face!

Chapter 15: Strike Your Problem Right in Its Face!

"Ah, I'm sorry…" Stellar murmured and then, immediately withdrew her arms around Kira's neck; her conscience compelled her so. However, it was not for long. Her current situation needed her to be more daring, bolder.

A pair of pale-coloured arms wrapped cautiously around the brown head's neck once more.

"Hmmm…lying won't get you anywhere, Stellar…" The raven-haired youth gave out a chortle, his aiming shaking a bit.

Kira, in truth, feared the gun most than the boy. "H-h-hey…let's settle things p-p-peacefully, shall we?" He stammered.

"Shut up, motherfucker." The guy with the black Smith & Wesson spat back at the brunette. Then, he resumed his attention towards the girl. In a much gentler voice, he spoke to her. "Hey, Stellar, that guy is definitely not your boyfriend. Come; let's go home, now…" He was cut off.

The petite blonde gave a full-blown kiss to the sitting-on-the-floor chocolate-haired youth, prompting a shocked response from both male.

"Stellar is dead serious about being in relationship with Kira-chan, Shinn…" After her earth-shattering declaration, the girl snuggled on Yamato's chest.

_Kira-chan??? Relationship??? What the fuck??? _The poor man, still confused, screamed inside his head.

However, he failed to notice her frown when her body was being so close to him.

"How could you do this to me, girl?!" Hoarse male shouting rang throughout the house. "I searched for you here and there and when I finally found you…"

Stellar got up and took away the gun from Shinn's hand and gave a tight slap to the boy. Shortly after that, she flung the gun to the wall and it fell to the ground, broken into two.

"Look…" The golden-haired girl pointed her index finger to his chest. "Stellar don't recall asking you to be a busybody. Moreover, Stellar don't even recall asking you to be a thief. You stole that toy gun from the store, right?"

_Toy gun??? _Our hero breathed a sigh of relief, simultaneously felt ridiculous for being afraid.

"Look at yourself, Shinn! A liar and how dare you threatened poor Kira-san! Shinn always bring trouble to Stellar and that's why Stellar hates you! Now, get lost and leave Stellar alone!"

She turned away from the boy with the black hair and headed for Kira. Her pair of gentle but strong hands helped him to get on his feet and also lead him away from the eye of storm. However, Shinn just won't let everything went her way.

"Stellar!" He roughly pulled her away from Kira but not without her struggling to break free. "How about your family?! They're worried sick about you!"

"One reminder for you, Shinn…" She stared at the empty space, looking sad. "_They _are not Stellar's _real _family…Why do you have to bother yourself helping them by searching for Stellar?"

Kira, on the other hand, still didn't understand what was going on, who the hell that raven-haired boy was and why Stellar referred herself as 'Stellar' when talking to that brat while pronouncing herself as 'I' when talking with him.

"Because I love you, Stellar!" Shinn violently shook her shoulders, as if that would make her understand.

All Kira wanted was peace.

"You're fucking liar, Shinn! If you love Stellar, just leave Stellar alone!" Her voice sounded thick. "Stellar wants a new life and Shinn, Stellar is s-s-sorry…you are not invited into it…"

"Can't you two please be quiet?! Your entire hullabaloos are driving me nuts! Can't you just leave me alone? I'm tired, okay?"

Veins burst on Shinn's forehead; blame it on Kira's tactless conduct.

"Hey, old man!" A finger was menacingly pointed towards the brunette. "I want to challenge you!"

Kira, shoulders slumped, was dismayed at the label he gave to him. But, quickly, he regained his steady composure.

"For what?"

"I don't know whether you're a fake or not but I want to take Stellar back! B'cos she's mine! Meet me at TESCO this weekend! At night! 12 am sharp!"

The mention of that place launched a series of sweet and sour memories to Kira's brain.

_Meyrin lives near this area…_

He wanted to voice out his disapproval but Shinn quickly moved in and shot him down.

"I will fetch you here and bring you there! Remember; don't go to sleep yet at that time!" The youth with the black hair stormed out of the house, without turning back.

Too shocked and confused by what he heard just now, the brunette just stood there and stared at the now-closed front door.

All that he could utter was, "What the fuck…"

_Just now he sa__id he wanted me to meet him at TESCO and then he wanted to fetch me so that he could bring me to that place? What sort of retarded thinking is that?_

"Sorry for the commotion and…sort of using you, Kira-san. I am sorry…" Stellar couldn't meet his amethyst eyes. Guilt overpowered her.

Kira Yamato could only let out a tired sigh and just walked past her.

"Wait!"

The man in his 20s stopped in his track.

"You're angry, aren't you?"

Kira turned and walked slowly towards the blonde. She gulped with fear as the youth's wore his usual Toltec mask whenever he was around her.

He stopped in front of her. Silent standoff for a while and then, Kira suddenly raised his hand, ready to strike down.

Stellar flinched, readying herself for the worst possible scenario. Then, it came.

Strange, there was no pain at all. Her tightly closed eyes slowly fluttered open.

Kira was stroking her head, with a smile on his face.

He realised that could ill afford to make another female to have some ill feelings towards him. One girl was head-splitting enough.

"Is that mothe-I mean, is that your…?" Coughs replaced words. Stellar surely knew what he meant.

"Yes, it is…" The Loussier girl, her eyes averted his gaze, now fully gone red.

"I see. Come…" The de-facto leader of the house gestured at her, signalling her to follow him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The brown-haired guy was trying to break the wall of ice between them but he didn't have enough courage to summon to do the task. After all what have happened just now, Stellar was engulfed by the wave of melancholy.

What he feared a long time ago had become a reality. He just couldn't afford letting a non-kin to stay in his house. It would surely brought misunderstandings and a heap of problems.

Contrary to what she said in the past, Stellar had brought headache to him. Good times were not supposed to last long and he knew it.

_Stupid Cagalli for bringing her in and where is she now? _Kira tightened his grip on blue-coloured mug that contained hot, dark brown liquid in it.

_Wait a minute…If I acted tough earlier on and not letting Stellar stayed in this house, what happened today won't happen! I'm SOOO stupid…_He mentally knocked himself on the head. Simultaneously, his hand let go of the mug. He had forgotten that it was a very hot thing to begin with.

"Shinn…I think he is spying on me, following me all along." The flaxen-haired girl finally opened her mouth and then, sipped her hot cocoa. "I just wanted to be left alone, that's all. Is that a difficult thing to ask?"

"Hey, he cares about you, girl. He spent a lot of time searching for you and even dared to challenge me like that…" He glanced at her with the edge of his eyes. "You really hurt him, ya' know. You acted as if I am your man. Really desperate, you are. That really hurts his manhood, you know…"

Her mouth was zipped shut, her red eyes fixed on her mug. It took her a while before she regained the ability to speak. "I…I don't want to stay at _that_home anymore…"

Kira heaved a deep breath before went on. "What actually happened to you, Stellar? Yes, I remember that last time you said that you ran away from your home…Now, that boy is working very hard to bring you back."

"They are not my real parents! And I felt like a prisoner in their home!"

This remark really popped a nerve out of Kira. He just couldn't believe what he heard.

"Stellar!"

The mentioned girl cowered in fear by his sudden raised voice.

"Y-y-yes?"

"Listen, although they're not your real parents but they're your father and mother nonetheless! Is it fair for them if you did something like this?!"

He paused for awhile, his fist, clenched tight, was trembling.

"You have to strike the problem right in its face! Running away from it won't help you either! You lied to him just now won't discourage him from taking you back because he really cared about you and he won't hesitate to eliminate me if he wanted to!

The girl with the golden hair averted his glare by looking at her toes and at the same time her hands clenched on the edge of her skirt. She knew she was being selfish and a burden to him, to her parents, to Shinn…

Kira made it known to her.

"That…what's his name again? Ah, Shinn…that Shinn guy really worked hard to get you back to your 'family'." The brunette turned calm again.

"If they're my family, why not they make an effort to search for me? Fuck them all…" Frown on her face, both hands clasped as her forehead rest on it.

However, she was still fighting the battle to stay out of her home. She just won't surrender her hard-won 'freedom'.

"I think they really make an effort to get you back and they ask Shinn because…simply because you're closer to Shinn, maybe?"

Stellar blushed at his comments. The girl immediately stood up and was preparing to leave, if not for his big hands to stop her.

"Sit down, Stellar…I don't have the intention to be a busybody but why do you keep on emphasizing that your family now is not your real family?"

He felt that the tug he imposed on her clothes loosened as she went nearer to him. But, Stellar chose not to meet his eyes.

"Actually, they are my uncle and my aunt. My aunt decided to take me away from my Daddy as Daddy grew increasing unstable after Big Sis' ran away from home."

A look of surprise was on Kira's face.

"She ran away…at that time I was 8 and she was…13, I think."

"I think? What do you mean by that? She is supposed to be your sister and yet you're not sure about her age at that time!"

"I'm still a kid when that thing happened, remember?" Frustration was evident on her face with a tinge of regret.

"I understood, girl…" He rest his hand on hers, trying to calm the turbulent feelings in her heart.

"It was all her fault! _Sis' _fault! If she didn't ran away, I won't get this kind of fate! I hate her!"

Stellar bit hard on her lower lips, trying to hold back what she hated most.

It was tears.

"S-s-since Mama gone, Daddy always put all of his attention towards Big Sis! I don't understand that since _I'm_ his blood and flesh while she is **not**!"

Kira got a lot of questions he wanted to ask but he chose not to press the issue further. Pushing her further was an unwise choice to pick.

Whether she wanted to return to her home or not, that was her choice. But, she was staying in his house now and he knew it won't last forever. She needed to get out sooner or later, since she was an outsider.

On top of that, that Shinn bastard had guts to challenge him directly over her even though he got nothing to do with that girl in the first place!

"Listen here, Stellar..." Kira murmured to her, gently. "Even if they are not your real parents, I believe they really care for you. You have to go back before everything goes out of hand."

She nodded in agreement, her face returned to its calmer state.

"But, I'm worried if Shinn is going to hurt you…" Her eyes gazed at Kira's, pleading him not to take the risk. "I will go away if that what it takes to make you stay safe…"

The brunette's lips curled into a warm smile, albeit clichéd.

"No, he won't." He said confidently. "I will have a slow talk with him and settle this issue peacefully."

_Hey, since when I become a fucking peacemaker?_

"Don't be so sure, Kira. He is a member of a gang."

His confident smile quickly evaporated.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Giggles were heard as Fllay went out from the kitchen into the dining room area.

The twins, obviously in good mood, were happily enjoying their breakfast.

The cherry head maintained professionalism as she poured more orange juice for the two.

"I just can't believe he downed that man in one blow! He's SOOOO strong…" Meer commented, dreamily.

Lacus, face in deep shade of red, intoned her thoughts.

"That's why…I love him…"

Her words drew an endless giggles from her younger sister and concealed pout for the maid.

"What do you think, Fllay onee-chan? Isn't it a bit rushed?" The pink princess tugged the redhead apron.

"I don't know, Lacus-sama…I simply don't know…" Her voice faltered as she left the room. But unmistakeably, she suddenly-sensitive ears heard what Lacus said behind the closed door.

"_I will visit him more often then! Much__ more often, much more often than before!"_

"What's with that face, Fllay?" Aisha asked her junior while holding a duster.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A pair of grey eyes stared at the cloud-filled, blue sky while the hands were holding a pail, half-filled with sweet-smelling detergent and a mop.

She was oblivious to her surrounding, completely engrossed in her day-dreaming.

"Fllay?"

The crimson-haired young woman jumped at the sudden hail and her head turned to meet the source of the voice.

It was the butler.

"You surprised me, Andrew-san." Fllay put down all the things in her hand and then wiped her hands with her apron. The man in his early 30s smiled at her nervousness.

"Did something bother you, Fllay?"

Denial was quickly launched to counter the incoming question.

"I've nothing to worry about…" An uneasy laugh accompanied her blatant lie.

"Let's go to the kitchen, then." Andrew moved a bit and then, took the pail beside the redhead. "I'll make you a coffee…"

_**Few minutes later, in the kitchen…**_

"Love problem, if I'm not mistaken?"

Brownish-black, bitter liquid spewed from the cherry head's mouth, making a major mess on the butler's uniform and face…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I experienced it, too…Ah, my younger years…"

The comment from the now-wearing-a-new-set-of-uniform butler drew a sweatdrop from the redhead.

"So, who is the lucky girl?" A grin came across her thinly-coated-with-lip-gloss lips.

"**Aisha**…"

Loud laughter rang throughout the kitchen but shortly after, managed to become wonderfully solemn. Her eyes glowed with interest, as if being in the Christmas' morning.

_Damn, I forgot to warn her not to laugh!_

"Hey, what's with the commotion?" said a woman that her name was just being mentioned by Andrew. The latter's body immediately went rigid and cheeks were flushed.

"It's nothing, Aisha-san." Fllay answered with a toothy grin. "Andrew-san just made a sloppy mistake and ended up dirtying his clothes!"

"But, why his uniform is clean right now?" A confused look surfaced upon Aisha's face. Then, her eyes reduced to slits, thoroughly scanning the guffawing butler's body with eagle-like precision.

"That happened just a while ago. No need for a thorough inspection, Aisha-sempai." The cherry head sweatdropped as the azure-haired woman lifted even the butler's arm and sniffed him around.

"Ah, I see…" She dusted Andrew's uniform and unceremoniously left the kitchen, the door gently closed in front of the two.

"So, how come if both of you are not together?" Fllay tried hard to suppress her laughter, albeit a giggle or two did escaped.

Andrew's face turned melancholic when he heard the inquiry. He poured his specially brewed coffee into the young maid's now-empty mug. His reaction drew sympathies from Fllay's part.

"Well, it was a long story…you are not here yet during that time, obviously…"

_**Flashback, Andrew's POV…**_

My chest felt tumultuous, ready to burst at moment's notice. My desired girl, my Venus, my only world…

Aisha…

She was in other guy's embrace, fully intoxicated in her lovemaking and that lucky guy was none other than my own…

My own boss! How could he! That bastard took away my only happiness a-a-and…

Tears welling up in my eyes, great sadness overpowered me as anger and fury slowly usurped all my sense of reason. I took a step forward, ready to jump at the unsuspecting lovey-dovey couple. As my ears were pummeled by her ceaseless moans and his occasional grunts, my distorted mind only focused on one thing…

B-b-but, I just couldn't…I'll be damned if I tried to…Not willing to entertain such thoughts, I hurriedly left the scene with tears went out unhindered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aisha, she was a sweet girl. Ever nice and gentle…With all my heart, I gonna protect this girl and make her mine…

Looking miserable, I sat beside a big, rusty trashcan while staring aimlessly towards the starless, black sky.

What have gone wrong? I thought…I thought she liked me…

I heaved a deep breath after realising one thing; it takes two to tango and you can't have a tango if the other dancer already has a partner.

But, I just couldn't let go like that…

_**End of Andrew's flashback…**_

"Hey, close your mouth." Andrew chuckled as Fllay, face in red; hastily did what he asked to do. "No need to be surprised like that."

"B-b-but…" The crimson-haired girl was still struggling to recover from her shell-shock. "If you just can't let her go…"

The brunette butler quickly interjected. "Look to the bright side, Fllay. Those two girls were still small at that time. They needed a loving mother…And, real life is no fairy tale-no happy ending at all times."

The petite young maid cut him off as revenge. "Hey, Aisha-san is still single as we speak, Andrew-san. So, what's holding Siegel-sama off?"

Sigh escaped from the Israeli man's mouth and then followed with a tiny grin. He put a hand on her shoulders and said, "You figure it out for yourself, girl but that's not the main issue. Sometimes, you have to know when to quit when odds are stacked against you. Keeping on fighting even though you know you gonna lose is the job of loonies."

Fllay nodded weakly as Andrew excused himself and left her alone in the well-illuminated room. With her eyes fixed on the empty air, her thought wandered…

"Let go…Kira…Lacus-sama…"

_**The weekends, 12 am, sharp…**_

Kira stood with a certain blonde girl in front of his house, feeling ridiculous as he waited for a certain man.

_I could have rejected his challenge __and just go to sleep. Stellar got nothing to do with me!_

"I will protect you, Kira-san!" Stellar giggling as she assured the chocolate head even though he was filled with doubt about her capabilities.

One name, though, persuaded him to go along with Shinn. Plus, his curiosity was just too great to ignore.

_TESCO…The only TESCO in Heliopolis is in Meyrin's area and maybe…maybe I can sneak away and try to meet her…_

Feeling a little guilty, Kira cursed himself for hijacking Shinn's challenge to meet the girl that used to be his lover. Why he couldn't gather the courage to meet Mey earlier? Why he needed such situation like tonight as a catalyst for him to see her?

12.10 am. That boy was nowhere to be seen or heard.

"Don't worry, Kira-san. He's only late for 10 minutes."

1.30 am. Congratulations, Shinn. You have beaten Kira's tardiness to the max.

And the then-energetic Stellar had already made her way deep into Dreamland inside Cagalli's room. Adolescents like her should get enough sleep after all even though there was no need for her to wake up early for school.

"Fucker…I should have been sleeping right now." He was about to enter the house and into the comfortable realm of his beloved bed when he heard the most beautiful sound that he missed so much.

Honda Super Cub.

Eyes glistening, mouth opened wide in joy and arms spread open. In slo-mo, Kira headed to the bright, yellowish halogen light, to his long-lost beloved that he thought never seeing again. Not even in his dreams.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you retarded or something, huh?! If you want to die so much, just eat your own shit, motherfucker!"

Shinn slowly got up, face contorted with pain.

_Hey, that was supposed to be my line, bastard!_He cursed the brunette.

Kira, on the other hand, still hugs the Super Cub. "Thank god, you're not hurt, my love…"

Suddenly, a well-deserved kick was launched to his face.

"I never saw such a moron before in my whole life. Just now, you ran towards me and don't you know I nearly lose my life by running towards this fucking wall! Instead, you were much more concerned towards this bike than me!"

"Whatever…" Kira retorted defiantly as he lifted the fallen motorcycle. Shinn immediately snatched it from his hands.

"This is my **bike**, shithead! No more ridiculous things from you! Hop on!" The black-haired youth roughly handed the brunette his helmet.

Scowling, Kira reluctantly obeyed him.

_I wish I am the one who rides that bike…_

_**TESCO, Heliopolis' Northern Sector…**_

The scene that happened in front of Kira's eyes evoked a thousand memories. The beautiful sounds of bikes, blaring loudspeakers, hot babes, cool-looking dudes, everything about street racing was in front of him.

Beside the TESCO supermart, there was a straight, long strip of road. Some guys did a run on it and hell, they were showy! Superman tricks, front wheelie, all sort of that stuff…

He smiled, obviously in a good mood. Shinn was like him in the past, after all and this fact answered his curiosity. However, as he followed the raven-haired boy around, he felt that tonight would be his last day of living.

_The duel…I wonder what it might be…_Kira gulped while scanning his surrounding area. Goosebumps rose like mushrooms on his skin.

"_**Don't be so sure, Kira. He is a member of a gang."**_

"Shit…" A murmur, barely heard, escaped the brunette's parched lips.

Finally, Shinn stopped beside a small truck that served as a makeshift stall to cater the thirsty crowd. He pointed at the seat, gesturing Kira to make himself comfortable there. Then, he ordered even a can of chilled beer for the brunette. Baffled by the black-coloured hair youth's sudden hospitality, Kira posed a question to him.

"Hey, what about the duel?"

Shinn raised an eyebrow while munching the tip of a drinking straw. "What duel?" Then, his face beamed. "Oh! Actually, I shed the idea and instead, I brought you here to show how powerful I am. One whistle from me and all my people here will beat you up into a pulp" Laughter ensued.

As expected, Kira was not amused by his odd sense of humour and logic. Shinn was not even the head of this group. Obviously, he just an underling or something and compared to him in the past, Shinn was nothing.

The chocolate head rose from his seat; he wanted to get out from there.

"Are you afraid already? If you are, give back Stellar to me!" Shinn shouted from his back. Kira stopped in his tracks and dropped heavily on his former seat.

"Just take her. She's not my property to begin with and I hate people who ran away from home for a stupid reason. Listen here, just take her to her home and shut your mouth up. It's not like that I'm afraid of you but rather I'm already bored with your stupid games. If you really care for her, there's no need to intimidate or threaten me. She's yours and yours alone." He took the beer that Shinn ordered for him earlier. Free things were too tempting to not to take.

The raven-haired boy stuck to his seat, surprised. Yet, he still managed to pull out a chuckle, albeit a nervous one.

"W-w-what a loser…" Kira had already left the table.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kira hastened his pace. He wanted to escape from his past although it surrounded him. He loathed it, yet he still felt attached to it. Yes, he missed all the fun days of street racing but it also made him lose everything that he cherished so much.

With regret and sadness engulfed his mind, his legs simply refused to walk any faster. Kira was still in that area, with his past surrounding him, coaxing him to return to it.

"Well, well…isn't that my lovely Kira-kun?"

The brunette, legs felt like jelly, unable to bring himself to believe the sight in front of him.

"_**You have to strike the problem right in its face!"**_

But, he really wished that he got a bike right now…

* * *

A/N: Oh how I hate tons of real-life work and not to forget; writer's blocks! Thanks to them, I updated late and I'm sorry for that, people. Please tell me what do you think about my newest instalment and stay tuned for the next one. See you all again next update!

* * *


	16. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Water

* * *

A/N: WARNING, WARNING!!! M CONTENT AHEAD! M CONTENT AHEAD! (Mature readers no need to be turned off by this warning. (smile))

* * *

Chapter 16: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Water

"I didn't expect to see you here, Kira-kun…" Suddenly, her serene purple eyes went ablaze. "…and where do you think you are going?!" The irritated woman quickly stopped the brunette in his tracks by nailing her stiletto heels down on Kira's left foot.

"What a useless man you are…" She maintained the pressure and unfortunately for the former, she began to enjoy it. Our poor Kira was yelping in pain.

"St-stop it, Mey! I won't go away!"

"Alright then…come with me." The redhead cheerfully led him away from the crowd, far from anyone prying eyes...

Kira looked at her as if Meyrin was a stranger to him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So…finally, you come to see me. Surely, you've taken a LOOOONG time to do that… For what reason, hmmm?" Meyrin handed Kira his drinks and then landed beside him.

To her question, Kira had no counter. All he could do was blushing heavily, out of guilt and embarrassment.

"Oh…you're not answering me. How boring…"

_Dang, that HURTS!!!_

Kira's shoulders slumped, suddenly he felt as if he was 50 years older and close to going kaput.

The crimson-haired young girl happily sipped on her ice-cream soda, her legs swayed back and forth. Tonight, the sky was bright and it was barely covered with clouds. Miss Moon shone dazzlingly, accompanied by her little star friends.

Kira could not understand why Meyrin was so happy being at his side. Wasn't she supposed to hate him with all her guts? Fllay told him so.

_Fllay…_

She didn't have any vested interest when she told him about it, right? If what she said in the past was true, so why now…?

"Hello…Kira? Are you here? Really, you're hopeless! Spacing out when a lady sat beside you! Kira-kuuun, you're supposed to entertain me!"

A kitten was playing with a ball of knitting-wool; it found itself being tangled with the wool, unable to untangle itself.

Kira's state of mind was exactly like that- messy.

"Why are you like this, Mey? You're confusing me! I'm supposed to be the man that you hated most! I've neglected you, made you suffer! I even caused pain to you…" His voice trailed off.

The girl went still. Afterwards, she hurriedly finished her drinks, crumpled the paper cup and threw it away, as far as she could. As if it was her frustrations, her anger. Still no words from her, Meyrin rose from her seat.

And she pranced a little in front of the young man. Somehow, her acts made Kira's heart felt like a helium-filled balloon, it rose to the sky; feeling happy.

After she had done with her little show, she approached Kira and put both of her hands on his lap, smiling.

"Poor little Kira…Feeling repentant?" His amethyst eyes began to glisten as he nodded in earnest. She stood up again and earnestly hugged him, providing the warmth he needed.

"Look at me, Kira." He couldn't lift his head to meet her face; the guilt was far too heavy.

He didn't move a muscle; the woman, who clad in a pink half-blouse, white undershirt and an ultra-short black skirt was too overwhelming for him.

By the way, she cut her hair. Gone was her cute pig-tails, hello to her new posh bob. Her new hairstyle made her looked like Rihanna but he didn't care about that. Meyrin looked much more mature in that way, he thought.

She went near to him, she reached her destination and she found Kira still hung his head low until…

The cherry head lifted her skirt for him, revealing her blue-coloured panties; complete with a cute, little red rose as an eye candy…

"Don't be a donkey…come on; feast your eyes on me…" Meyrin's coo sent goose bumps all over Kira's body. For a long time he had been denied that sound; strange, Kira felt a sense of déjà vu.

The sensation that overcame him now was similar to the one he felt when he rediscovered his Super Cub, stolen – long, long time ago.

"What are you waiting for…do what you want to me, love…" said Meyrin, pouting but failed to hide her deep-red blush.

_Fuck…please tell me__... this is just a dream…_

Her womanhood began to emit a familiar scent. Kira, now unbridled, sniffed it like no tomorrow. His hands gingerly removed her panties, with eyes roving here and there; it was scanning the surroundings to make sure no one was watching them.

Lo and behold, Meyrin's most intimate area glistened as it basked in moonlight. She was breathing heavily and now she was fully going by instinct. Her body wanted Kira. She led his head once more to her Venus' mound and Kira happily obliged.

**Chap…chap…chap…**

Lecherous sound filled the night, Meyrin's oohs and aahs complimented the amorous melody, enough to burn up any peeping toms into ashes and cinders. The brunette, on the other hand, had other things playing up in his mind…

_Why, Mey? __Is this the sign that she will come back to me?_

She was unable to stand anymore. The pleasure he had given was sweet, too sweet in fact that she fell on her cute butt but not to hard. Kira did his part on slowing down her fall. He just could not let the girl that still wielded much influence on his heart got hurt.

"K-K-Kira…" The lass panted. She hastily removed the clothes that protected her upper body from nakedness. First to go was her pink half-blouse, then, the white undershirt and finally, her purple-coloured, lace bra. She intentionally let her skirt stay. When she left that piece of garment, it made Kira felt much more aroused somehow. It was evident in his amethyst eyes, now turned red with carnal desire. In situation like this, his clothes were also gone in a flash- in a record time.

Once more, Meyrin showed her body towards the man that she formerly loved with her heart and soul. No one could understand why she did what she did tonight…

Not even Kira. But, what the heck, all he wanted was to stick his hot rod of pure meat right into her already-moist love sheath.

"I'm going in, love…" He sounded gruff. It was a pure torture to gaze at such beautiful body. Tonight, he was going to savour her slowly. Time will wait for no one but him.

"Quick, Ki…" Meyrin could not finished on what she intended to say. The man was already inside and he was thrusting like mad- turbocharged piston action.

"Ahhnnn…ooohhhh…ahhhhnnn…God, KIIIIRRRAAAA!!!"

"Damn, you're tight! Kuhhh…"

"I always loved you, Kira…I missed you so much and no man can replace you…"

Well, with those encouraging words, Kira could go on and on for the rest of the night as in his head, music tunes was being played. Strangely, it was Floyd Cramer's 'Help me make it through the night'. However, as some strange worldly laws said: other people's enjoyment and excitement will be bound to be spoiled by others.

**SMACK!!!**

"Owwhh…hwhaah dat foo?" Turn-on became turn-down. Kira didn't expect that coming.

"Get off me, **rapist**! GET OFF ME!!!" She shrieked while kicking and flailing, in the process, shoving him away. The brunette was confused and dazed. His penis was not even flaccid yet…

"Mey, what happened?" He shook her, who was staring at him but with mouth shut. Kira could see fear in her eyes; it was not there before. Something must have triggered it. Suddenly, he was seeing stars, literally, and then, returned to earth with a crash.

"Ouch, chh, chhh…what the fuck???" With no clothes to pad the impact, his naked body have to bear the brunt of the impact. As his eyes settled down on his attacker, Kira turned into a concrete statue and then cracked himself back to life again; pointing his trembling forefinger at the person.

"I-I-I know you! You're the guy from that day!"

"Yeah, bastard, and how dare you laid your filthy hands on my girl!" Another kick from the blue-haired man sent Kira flying and writhing in pain. During the assault, Kira's hands instinctively covered his precious 'little buddy' down there, completely forgetting to curl up his body, which was supposed to give him better protection from Athrun's wrath.

"Hey, what is all the commotion about?" Another guy emerged from the bush with a couple of men behind him. As his eyes settled down on Kira…

"Oh, you're still alive!"

"Alive? What do you mean by that, Yzak?" Athrun stopped, heavily breathing and panting. His fair face was reddened with immense anger.

However, Yzak Joule didn't answer him straight away. "Oh, how sexy you are today, Mey. I can see your…" That comment earned Yzak a well-placed punch by not one man but two.

Athrun glared at the other man. "Who asked you to butt in, fucker?"

Kira laughed nervously. "Hahaha…blame it on my reflexes, perhaps?"

Meyrin, Yzak and the other guys sweatdropped at the chocolate head's statement.

"Anyway, she was my _heina_, Mr. Blue-haired Sancho." Kira hissed, adamantly guarding what was formerly his.

"I'm not el Sancho, dickhead. I'm Athrun and remember that name because I got a new .45 and I won't think twice to stick that barrel straight down your throat. Believe me when I say that I got something for your punk ass!" Athrun growled back, fiercely protecting what was _his_ from the alleged _rapist_.

"Alright, that's enough, you two! I'm being ignored here, okay?" The guy with the bobbed silver hair rubbed his sore cheeks as he answered Athrun's earlier question. "Remember? This guy was the one who was trying to steal my CBR600RR and I beat the street racer spirit outta him! Kinda weird b'cos he's still alive, man. Devil himself must have loved him so much…and maybe Lady Luck has an eye for him!"

"Well, please talk in simple English, Mr. Joule…" The azure head's eyes turned into mere slits.

"Can't you see? He cheated death and now, he fu…" Another powerful punch hit Yzak, this time: his stomach. That kind of mouth deservedly coughed a hell lot of blood.

"Ok-okay, alright then! This bastard RAPED Meyrin!!! Our beautiful mascot!!!"

"Since when I'm you people's mascot?!" Meyrin shouted in embarrassment, her hands were protecting her boing-boing. However, her protests was drowned by a male's loud and deep voice.

"OBJECTIONS!!! I beg to differ, motherfuckers! Meyrin already gave her full consent just now and I was invited to give her utmost pleasure!" Kira heroically defended himself, complete with the Phoenix Wright's trademark pose.

"Oh my, a really nice effort, you have there…" Athrun shook his head lightly. Then, he brushed his bangs to the back and looked at Kira with disdain. "This time he won't see another new day's light, guys..."

Kira gulped. Death sentence had already been issued. Not even his clever mouth saved him. The wolves were smacking their lips and growling, readying themselves for the kill…

"Hey, I will take this guy, OK? Ciao!"

A hand grabbed Kira's arms and hurriedly led him away from the murderous crowd of Athrun's biker gang. Kira, all confused and dazed, tried to ask his saviour to identify himself since he was wearing a full-faced helmet. But, questions will be asked later; the gang that they left behind was already in hot pursuit.

"Quick, hop on to my bike!" Kira's saviour pointed to his Super Cub. Immediately, the brunette recognized it.

"Shinn???"

"Just shut the fuck up, will ya? If you love your life, just zip your mouth and follow me!"

"But…my clothes???"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yaaawwwnnn…"

She lazily got up, tidied her bed while still half-asleep and then proceeded to the bathroom. Minutes later, she emerged from there, put on her usual maid uniform and combed her fiery hair.

The clock on her table showed that it was still 5.30 am.

Then, with a hum, she went straight to her first post in the early mornings: the kitchen.

"Ah, good morning Fllay." Aisha greeted her as she rose from her bending position, carrying a couple of stuff in her arms.

"Morning…" The cherry head smiled as she grabbed a glass for a drink. Plain and warm water for her, as usual. Then, it was accompanied with a long, tasty banana that she bought a few days ago.

A slow bite and then, followed by a faint gulp- that taste sent Fllay to the seventh heaven.

"Ne, Fllay, stop that stupid face of yours. I need you to go out to buy some groceries. We are running out supplies." The slender older woman handed her the money she needed. "Don't stray to anywhere else, alright. I don't know why but nowadays you tend to do that. Remember, you got a lot of work to do." Aisha didn't want to scold her early in the morning but the redhead got the message across.

Fllay grinned sheepishly. "Okay…"

_**Meanwhile, somewhere in Heliopolis…**_

"Hey, stop panting already. You're making too much noise."

"Oh, really? Then, you should stop too." Kira retorted to the raven-haired boy, who was no better than him, no, even much worse.

Manly tears streamed down his face!

"Why are you crying?!" Exasperated, the brunette shouted at the top of his lungs since the howl of the fierce wind drowned his usually loud voice. "Wipe off your disgusting tears!!!"

"I can't, fuck it!!!" Shinn shouted, too.

"Yeah, I know, I know!!! Then, whose idea was it, hmmm??? Hiding in such place as this?!!"

The two of them, standing precariously at the side of a bridge, while heavy traffic passed above their heads, oblivious to the existence of the jackasses.

Tokyo Shock Boys would be proud.

"If you have any ingenious idea, _please_, do _share_…" Shinn hissed at the other male as another powerful gust of wind swept their face.

"Hold my hand…"

"What did you say??? I can't hear you!!!"

"Damn it, motherfucker!!! HOLD MY HAND!!!" Kira stretched his left hand towards the scowling Shinn. He refused it.

"No! You wanna **jump**, right?! Have your nuts become loose, huh?! It's damn **frigid** water below us, you asshole!!!"

"Oh, how did you know???"

"I've watched such scene in so many action movies!!!"

"Then, why not we try it once? Let's test whether real-life is similar to the movies!"

"Wait! Why not we just stay here?" Shinn pleaded for his life, his eyes was ablaze with a determination to live. Then, an idea struck him.

"Hey, why not we hide in your house?"

"Tut, tut. Both requests denied."

"Why???"

"You asshole, that bitch will surely know our whereabouts, you know. She knew where my house is and you surely don't want Stellar to be harmed, am I correct?"

"…"

"…"

"Hey, before you forget, our predicament now was caused by you; you're doing some hanky panky business with that redhead girl…" That sentence was ended with a sly laugh.

The brown-haired youth's face immediately flushed with embarrassment and anger.

"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, DAMN IT!!!"

"Oh, I hit your soft spot. Damn hurt, isn't it? Hmmm??? Being lecherous doesn't pay, you know. Hahaha…"

A vein popped on Kira's forehead.

With one swift move, Kira immediately grabbed Shinn's hand and both of them dived to the river below. The brown head did it with a style; he really wanted to commit suicide, anyway.

On the other hand, Shinn tumbled like a heavy rock.

"NOOOOO!!! I'M STILL A BACHELOR!!!"

_**Shortly afterwards…**_

"Damn…we just found them and look, they really did it…"

Yzak snorted. "Be happy, then, Jason. We don't have to dirty our hands like the last time."

"But…" The man named Jason wondered. "As if that brown-haired guy knew we're coming to get him when he and his chum jumped into the water…"

"Don't think too much, stupid. Let's leave. Anyway, without his clothes, that brunette will surely freeze to death."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Surely it takes a long time for us to reach the bottom, ya'know." Kira wondered aloud. Surprisingly, his body felt very light; it was surreal, just like a dream. As if he was floating, not falling like a dumb rock.

"What, you want both of us to die fast, eh?" Shinn folded his arms as he fell. "Now you mention it, our impending death was way TOO slow…"

"Why don't we cherish it then? Let's have a proper get-to-know each other, shall we?" A sincere smile was etched on Kira's face.

"What the fuck…"

"I'm Kira Yamato."

"Hmmpph. You already knew my name, right?"

"Let's bury the hatchet, okay? Be friends because I don't want to die without anyone I know in this mortal world."

Shinn gulped. "I'm Shinn Asuka. Nice to meet you, Kira." Handshakes ensued.

Unexpectedly for Shinn, Kira pulled him towards the brunette's body. Shinn's face slammed into Kira's broad chest but not too hard.

His upper torso was warm. Shinn blushed a bit.

_What the heck am I blushing for??? I'm straight!!!_

"I'm glad to know you, Shinn…thanks for saving my butt just now…"

"I'm glad to know you too, Kira. Thanks for giving me a maybe painful death…"

"Haha, very funny…"

"By the way, your butt is cute, Kira…"

"Ah, thank you…"

_**At the same time…**_

"Well, that's done. Have to go back now or else Aisha-san will be mad at me." Fllay mused while on her way back to Clyne's Mansion. Her mind was fleeting towards one guy.

"Stupid Kira…" She held the grocery bag close to her body. The refreshing smell of fresh veggies wafted through her nose.

**SPLASH!!!**

"What was that???" Fllay, startled, began to look at her right direction, towards the river. She was expecting an answer but she could found none. There was nothing strange there except for the one big splashing sound just now.

"Someone might be falling into the river!" Her eyes scanned frantically at the river's surface but again, she failed to found anything strange.

The river continued to maintain its fast-paced course, ignoring the cherry head.

"You worry too much, Fllay." She recollected her breath and resumed her slow-paced walking.

"Kira…how is he, I wonder…"

As she turned her head once again, she swore she caught a glimpse of an object, darkish brown in colour, bobbing in the water. She ignored it at first but as she looked at it for a second time…

It looked like a head and then, two bodies surfaced, swept away by the fast current.

"Oh, holy shit!!!"

"_**Don't stray to anywhere else, alright. I don't know why but nowadays you tend to do that. Remember, you got a lot of work to do."**_

"I'm sorry, Aisha-sempai but this one is important!!!" Effortlessly, she scaled the fences and immediately dived into the tumultuous river, in a dangerous mission to save, unknowingly to her, two guys that really deserved to die for their absolute stupidity.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Cough…cough…uuurrggghhh…" Sputtering like a nearly kaput engine, Kira incessantly massaged his pained chest. _Never again…_he thought, that he will ever challenge the power of surface tension. Dang, it was terribly painful that it nearly wrecked his body, naked on top of that!

His eyes fluttered open and to his confusion, everything was white all around him.

_I'm dead?_

The answer was negative since two powerful slaps hit both of his cheeks and of course, it was painful enough to bring back colours to his vision.

"What do you think you're doing, Kira?! That was dangerous!!!"

_Who was that?_

Now, his vision became clear and what he saw in front of him was a young woman, in tears and in a wet maid uniform. In addition, he was in a secluded place, with unused crates all around him. Faint sound of the river could still reach his ears. From what he saw, he deduced that he must be under some small bridge or something.

"Fllay…" Kira chuckled and he gained another slap for doing that.

"Are you crazy? Falling into the river from such height and you nearly drowned yourself!" She lunged towards him, her tiny hands gripped Kira's throat, threatening to snuff the life out of him. "Stupid, moron, idiot!!!"

Kira let his guard down. After all, her grip wasn't tight enough to threaten him. He just droop his head, wishing that Fllay never saved him in the first place.

Meyrin's act of betrayal was painful…much more painful because he experienced in first-hand. Oh, how he really wanted to die!

"Don't die, Kira…please." The cherry head sobbed, gone was the choking part. Now, she hugged him tightly, not willing to let go. "I-I-I just can't bear with the thought that you will gone…"

"I saw it…Meyrin's treachery…I-I-I can't believe it, in one moment she said she needed me a-a-and then she stabbed me back!!!"

Fllay was taken aback by his words. "You went to see Meyrin?" Then, her eyes scanned his whole naked body. Her worried face turned sour. She understood what had happened or _may _have happened between that redhead **spoiled bitch** and him…

"I see…then, you wanted to commit suicide since this time she really, really dumped you?"

He nodded weakly.

**SMACK!!!**

_Come to think about it, I've been slapped twice today, right? _

"Fllay, kill me if you want…I'm useless…"

"KIRA!!!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Now, she was a mad bull and Kira was directly on her path.

"Stop being sorry with yourself! Life is not a thing that you can throw away easily! Don't think that no one care about you. Fuck, if you can't take care of yourself, can you protect the one that you loved?!" She kicked at him again and again mercilessly. "I think not! And I hate people who don't love themselves!"

Her breathing was heavy; he could hear it. For the second time, Kira saw Fllay was mad at him. Angry, she was but it was tinged with concern and anxiety.

"ACHOO!!!"

Kira felt his heart wanted to burst when he saw the shivering figure in front of him. Without hesitation, he embraced her, hoping that this would warm the young woman.

"Thanks for opening my eyes, Fllay…without people like you, maybe I'm already a goner…" The brunette held the redhead close; he didn't want her to see his face, a crying face.

Her grey eyes also shed another round of tears. She returned his embrace with a kiss on his pale lips. Another little miracle had been made; she had brought back the warmth to his lips, to his body and most importantly, to his heart. After that deep kiss she gave him, in sobs, she said this to him:

"W-w-why do you have to search for Meyrin's love? I'm here for you, Kira. I'm waiting for you, Kira. E-e-even though you heart is not ready for me yet but I always love you…It was painful for me to be separated from you, to be far away from you." Her tears flowed much faster. "If you gone, what will happen to me? I don't want to lose the people that I love anymore, Kira. I've suffered enough, I've suffer enough…"

She buried her face into his naked chest while Kira buried his onto her wet hair. Her words made him think…

Fllay broke free from his embrace and gave him another smooch. But this time, the sensation was different. He could feel there was something much more primal in her kiss. Wet sounds of two tongues playing with each other were heard, complimented with a number of moans and heavy breathing.

"Mmm..hhh…mmm…uuu…" Sweet smell of pheromones was in the air as Kira reached for Fllay's buttons. His little buddy became erected in no time, thanks to the excitement that she provided.

With her clothes undone, Kira moved on to the next step. He intended to lead but Fllay already stood up. With a smile, she gestured him to stay firmly on the concrete ground.

Fllay removed her uniform and her panties in a sexually provocative manner. She giggled while flashing a cute grin. Soon after that, her giggles were gone and her cheerful face was replaced by a bashful one when she saw Kira sniffing her wet panties as if it was a highly-prized drug.

"Aahhnn…that thing is dirty, Kira."

He just smiled. The redhead bashfully smiled back. Although Kira already seen her naked body before, Fllay instinctively covered her breasts with both her hands.

"Loo..k, Kira…My pussy, my wet pussy…make love to me please…" Her face was red as boiled lobsters.

That man didn't need invitation, anyway. Without wasting anymore time, he greedily lap up her overflowing nectar, savouring its sweet and a bit sour taste.

"Aaaahhh…haaaa…hiiii…hauuu…"

_She was different…_

Kira didn't just concentrate on one spot. He went all over her Venus mound but most importantly was her clit. Attacking that made her went crazy.

"AAAAAHHHH!!! My…m-m-my little bean…oh, oh, MY LITTLE BEAN!!!"

_Bean?_He chuckled silently. By now, Fllay had no power to stand up anymore. Lying on the ground, she completely let him do what he pleased with her. He continued his attack on her 'little bean' and to double her pleasure, Kira pinched her erect nipples lightly.

"Haaaa…emmm…I'm…I'm…aaahhhh…"

Kira kneeled, catching his breath. Fllay also did the same.

_God, his tongue was wonderful! I cummed…_

He caught the glimpse of her pussy twitching. Oh boy, it was about time…

"Don't leave me, Kira…don't leave me alone…I beg you…love me…"

Two hearts were beating fast, almost beating in tandem. He moved closer to her and his member, already fully engorged with blood, was ready to give her a hell of night. The tip of his penis came knocking at her vagina's door, faint wet sounds could be heard.

The Yamato guy intended to tease her, he wanted to hear her saying, "Ahhhnnn…you naughty boy! Stop sliding that thing around and put it where it should be!" but he himself could not stand the pressure. In one powerful thrust, he entered her love sheath and began pumping away.

"K…kaa…I can't…brea…tthh!!!" Of course she could not, the pleasure was too great.

_Oh god, she was tight! To tight that I might split her pussy in two! _

"Too big…too big…you'll turn me inside out!!! Huuuaaa…"

_This…this is awesome! Her pussy…her pussy…it's tighten like…like…_The marvellous sensation had already drowned Kira's thinking faculty.

_Her pussy is so…hot. It's winding…around my cock head…_

"Oh, Kira! Ki…raa!!!"

This time, Fate was taking her leave. No one would come to bother the couple, who were completely lost in their passionate love-making. They could even moan and screamed as loud as they like; the sound of the river and the road traffic drowned their ecstatic voices.

"Fllay…I'm almost there…"

"Nooo…HAAAAAA…Something is gonna burst out…"

Fllay won the race with an earth-shattering scream. She cummed first, her body went limp right after that and her face was completely blank as Kira, growled in absolute contentment, dumped a load of semen inside her vagina.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post-coital moment was a silent affair, though. Both sides were reluctant to open their mouths; their minds seemed unable to start up a conversation. Suddenly, something struck Kira.

"Shinn! Where is he?!" He stood up but went wobbly for a while since he stood up abruptly. Fllay immediately held his body, preventing him from collapsing.

"Who is that?" She asked, eyes looking concerned again.

"That guy…that guy also fell into the river…with me! You saw him right?"

"Oh my, I forgot to grab him when I saved you!" Colours were drained from her face. Kira's too.

_**At the same time, far, far away…**_

"H-h-help me!!! Anyone, anything! I don't care! God, I swear I will abandon my evil ways if you help me and you, Satan, I swear I will gladly sell my soul if you save me!!!"

Shinn, in the middle of the drain, was clinging for his dear life as fast-flowing water threatened to sweep him away. His only hope for survival was a mere broken pillar of concrete, in the middle of a wide flood drain.

How unlucky he was, his pleas and prayers were not answered either by anyone or anything. A huge, seemingly empty barrel was heading straight towards him and…fast!

"OH SHIT!"

* * *

A/N: Minna, did you enjoy my latest update? If you do, I'm glad! Before I go, I want to say Happy St. Valentine's Day to all! (Again, I'm a bit late…) Keep the love flowing, okay? Ciao! 


	17. Revelations

Chapter 17: Revelations

"Hoh…you've_ really_ forgotten about me. **What the fuck!**" Shinn held Kira by his collar, with his face neared Kira's sheepish one. "You and your stupid idea nearly cost me **my life**!"

"Put me down, Shinn…I-I can explain." Cold sweat beginning to trickle down Kira's forehead and it seemed that more would come out. He expected the younger male would thrash him soon; Shinn seemed like that kind of guy.

"There…" The boy with the black hair promptly released him with a disdain in his face. "Better explain carefully or…"

"Alright, I got it, I got it! Look, the person who saved me…forgot to save you. That's all." Kira feverishly massaged his chest, feeling relieved that the storm missed him today.

Shinn was dumbfounded. "Say what?"

"She had forgotten you. So, on her behalf, I would like to apologise to you, dude. Ah-ha-ha-ha…" Kira bowed, at the same time smiled ruefully, while his right hand scratched his head.

"…"

"What? You've already gone mute or something, Shinn?"

Unexpectedly, the younger male broke into unmanly tears, complete with dangling mucus jutting from his nose.

"What am I? A second-rate character that deserve to die? Where is the justice in this world? Boohoohoo…"

"There, there…no need to over-react about this little thing." The brunette, sweatdropping and could not help himself but to feel sorry for that poor guy, patted the raven-haired boy in his back.

A female voice broke Shinn's weeping.

"Stellar is done!" She huffed and puffed, carrying two suitcases. They were fully loaded and of course, heavy. "Shinn, stop snivelling and help Stellar!"

"Yes, ma'am…" The guy lazily reacted to her orders, only to be given a nasty pinch to his right side.

_**Minutes later…**_

"Kira…" A female hand grabbed his arm as he watched Shinn closed the bonnet of his car. His head turned towards the voice and strangely, his heart had a tinge of forlorn in it.

"Yes, Stellar?"

"Stellar want to thank you for letting this cute girl…" She giggled at her own words. "…stay in Kira's house for a while and every advice you gave, Stellar is very grateful…" The blonde girl grinned, from ear to ear.

"One question, though." The brunette's face turned serious. "Why do you use third person this time? Before this, you talked to me as anybody else, using a first person."

"Ah…" She gave a light knock to her head. "That one, Stellar used to dislike Kira before. So, now…Stellar is getting quite fond of Kira!" Red tinge was on her cheeks. "As if Kira-san is an older brother that Stellar never had the chance to have before…"

_I see…she is using that kind of language on a person that she likes…_

"Whatever…" Kira frowned a bit, trying to be grumpy but alas, he failed. A smile finally blossomed in his lips and it was still there when Stellar and Shinn waved him goodbye, promising to visit him and Cagalli whenever they have the time.

As their car left the area, _that _feeling came out again.

"Kira?"

He hastily wiped off his tears as he heard a female voice calling him and hurriedly readied himself to greet that person, whoever she was.

"Oh, it's **you**…"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Remember, we use to date around here…how I miss those days…"

Talking about the past was such an awkward business now and Kira hate it. That girl even had the nerve to mention it to him; he just could not understand. Meyrin, several days earlier had done the utmost betrayal towards him suddenly became nostalgic about the past that her herself the first to left behind. When he came to think about it, now he was equal to Meyrin. In the past, he had hurt her. Recently, it was her turn. So, both were equally guilty and it was time for the most important question: how to heal both of their hearts? Obviously, he was not prepared for, not interested, and do not give a damn about it.

"Kira…you have been silent…I want to hear you speak too…" The redhead sorrowfully spoke; her hands gripped her knees in sadness.

Kira only replied in a growl. His eyes looked vacant, looking at the lake in front of him. To make the matter worse, there were a lot lovey-dovey couples around. Irritation began to fill every corner of his shrinking heart. After all, he got a heap of reasons to get angry and grumpy today.

"Maybe bringing you here was a bad idea after all. My fault…" The girl beside him laughed nervously, trying to attract aura of happiness to come to both of them but failed miserably.

"So, what is your game today, eh Meyrin? I'm sure that your guy is around here, waiting to pounce on me, right?" Kira derisively spoke, ignoring her efforts to keep the atmosphere cheerful. His accusation was met with a thin smile and she answered,

"I came alone, Kira. He didn't know that I was here."

"Quite nice, your new guy was." Sarcasm was barely veiled. "Strong and cool enough to protect you…and hell, a rich guy, too…" Kira's mind trailed back at the time when he first met Athrun. "Surely you're happy with him, Meyrin." He turned his head away from her, realising that she was going to cry.

How he hated looking at crying girls. But, Meyrin managed to keep herself strong and composed. "Yeah, I thought like that too, once…"

The evening was getting late; the once bright, blue sky was turning into orange with a tint of grey.

"Alas, I was wrong. I should've known it from the start. Athrun was my ex, Kira…and it was a dreadful mistake to accept him back into my heart. What a fool I was…quickly forgetting what he had done in the past. I know you must be angry if I say this: it was your fault, Kira for making my heart wavers. I was trying to hold on to you but you continue to treat me badly…" She smiled again and Kira was not, not yet. "Honestly, at that time I still believe that you will return to the old Kira that I always knew but…the rest is history and here we are, sitting on the same old bench but not as lovers…"

Amethyst gazed at its own reflection. Only that Meyrin has a lighter shade of purple than his.

"Yeah, I'm stupid and on top of that, moron…"

"Don't say things like that, Kira. You're a nice man…"

He cut her off. "Nice? I treated you badly in the past, Mey…and I didn't even have the courage to say sorry to you."

"I waited for almost one week for your apology. I am a forgiving person, Kira. But surely you will get a hell from me but I still can forgive you if you offer your apologies. It didn't come in the end. When I searched for you, you were not in home. Instead, I met your girl."

The word 'your girl' made Kira's eyes bulged in disbelief. He did not have to be fearful but strangely, goose bumps emerged like mushrooms on his skin.

"I forgot her name but after I met her, finally I realised that your heart was somebody else's…"

"What the fuck are you saying, Mey? Who is this girl that you're talking about!"

But, he did not have the heart anymore to be ignorant about it. Now, it was his chance to set things straight with the petite young girl beside him.

"Fllay?" Kira chuckled. "She's just my friend!"

Strangely, he felt bitter in his heart and his mouth. To call that particular woman just a friend seemed not right. Just what was Fllay to him now? Shuddering, he tried to shake off the memories that he made in the past with that particular maid. But, they kept on coming like angry hornets. To her, Kira was the only person in her heart. To him, Fllay was…

Better left it unanswered. He didn't have the answer to it either.

"Friend? I remembered that she said the same thing too but I just couldn't bring myself to believe it. How come my Kira can change so much…? It must because of her...that woman…" Her convictions came with a sorrowful tone. The man could only remain silent, but, he actually knew the whole truth and Fllay was unjustly blamed for their relationships problem. He wanted to defend her from Meyrin's wrongful accusations but that would bring more strain to the already tense atmosphere.

By seeing his depressed expression, she thought that maybe there was truth behind his words earlier - that "girl" was only his friend. Then, all these times, she wrongfully accused that young woman and wrongfully doubted her Kira. After much hesitation, Meyrin timidly reached out for his hand and firmly grasped it. He did not resist. Emboldened by his reaction, she straight away embraced the angst-ridden brunette.

"Forgive me for neglecting you…and I already got enough punishment for that…" He intoned his apology solemnly. But, he still could not forget how painful it was, being betrayed by her. However, looking at her like this made him changed his mind.

_Maybe it's a good thing to be together again…I'm tired of being like this…_

"I'm so sorry…Kira. B-but, I must have really hurt your feelings last week. I didn't intend to push you away like that but I had to…To tell you the truth, I was happy to see you again…"

Meyrin, teary-eyed, broke off her embrace and gazed hard at him. Now, she wanted an explanation or two. The reason on why Kira could not see her, what had happened to him since that day and everything she needed to know; Kira made it clear for her. Finally, the truth was let out, because she asked to.

"So, that's why you're bandaged all over…" She choked a bit. "I saw you …it saddened me, you know. I tried to visit you but…I couldn't, I just couldn't…Save me, Kira…save me from Athrun, take me back and make me yours again…I'm sorry because I didn't try to understand your situation back then. I was selfish and in the end, left you…" The redhead hugged him tightly, her face snugly rested deep inside his chest.

But, deep in Kira's heart, he was troubled.

He thought he could easily made Meyrin fit back again into his life as there was another girl that was contending for that position. Now, if he accepted Mey back again, how to break this news to Fllay? Well, it was supposed to be easy because…after all, she was just a…a friend, in his little heart. The things that both of them did together…she just gave it voluntarily to him and he gladly accepted it. But, he felt something was missing, something was wrong; his heart was choked with a sense of heaviness. It felt like he did not want to lose the other cherry head, either. In a flash, images of his memories with Fllay came attacking in droves again, overwhelming and disorienting to his already-heavy head. Slowly, he pushed back the girl and distanced himself from her, earning a puzzled look from the scarlet-haired young woman.

"Mey, just now you said that you wanted to be saved from _him_…what actually happened between both of you?"

The young girl's face turned sour. "He's being unfaithful to me, again."

"_Again_?"

"Yes…" she said this while heaving a deep breath. "…and I fear him. He has changed a lot since the last time I met him. I was fooled, thinking that he has already changed but in truth, he is getting worse. Not only he's being a two-timer…suddenly, he is being overbearing. It choked me…" Meyrin held his hands tight, anxiety was on her face.

Looking at her forlorn face, Kira frowned.

"I will see what I can do. Need something to make him to give up you, though…"

When they leave the park, Kira was deep in his thoughts. He was not sure whether it was right to accept Meyrin again at times like this. His actions would hurt Fllay but he had to.

_But…I don't want to see Fllay's sad face, too…_

_**Kira's house, at night…**_

The brunette closed the front door behind him, sighing. He did not expect that his sister was waiting for him, though. As soon as she heard her brother already at home, Cagalli immediately rushed towards him. Her face looked like as if she just discovered the juiciest gossip that she ever heard. Kira didn't have an affinity for scandalous news, however.

"Kira…" The blonde whispered. "Something had happened when you were out…"

"No need to talk like that, sis. There's no one here except you and me." He waved her off and was going to head for the kitchen when she mentioned a name that sent a jolt down his spine.

"It looks like she was going to stay here. I already ask her to go to your room." Cagalli folded her arms with a sly grin etched on her face. "Anyway, gotta go. Don't want to disturb my little brother's business. Yeah, one more thing, keep your bed sheet clean. I'm too lazy to wash it, you know. Hey, wait a minute. Why should I? You clean your own mess, okay?"

She immediately scrammed, knowing that Kira would beat a hell out of her. With his target already ran off, the young man slowly calmed himself down. After all, he needed his cool.

_She came all by herself. Good, I don't need to waste my energy to go to her place. Now, I __**have** to break the news to her…_

It was easier said that done, nevertheless. The dreaded butterflies came out and made his legs weak, head dizzy. His heart, at the moment, felt heavy as a lead. The Yamato guy stopped at his door, staring at it. His brain, now, feverishly racked up any good sentences to explain it to her.

"God, I hope she understands it…" Kira's hand was going to turn the door's handle but his ears picked up some strange sounds coming out from behind the door. It was a low hum, more like a buzz or a whirr. The brunette tried hard to pick up the sound, trying to make sure that the noise really coming out from his room.

His brow creased in confusion. The strange buzzing sound went on and on. Then, he heard a faint panting sound, also from his room.

"What is Fllay doing?" Curiosity was too big to ignore and slowly, the door creaked open. Kira looked around. He could not see anything; the light was off, except hearing the buzzing sound getting louder, unhindered by the thick door, and a startled gasp.

"What's the matter, Fllay? Are you sick or…?" He reached for the switch and in a flash, lights began to invade Kira's sight. "Shit…" Kira cursed as the bright lights hurt his eyes a bit. He let them got accustomed to it and when they do, the brunette was speechless when he saw the sight in front of him: Fllay, looking at the chocolate head apprehensively, quickly hid something behind her back. But, she could not hide the fact that she had nothing on to cover her lower body part. While avoiding the 'dangerous' sight, Kira noticed her trousers were lying on his bed.

"Errr…Fllay…what are you doing?" He knew the buzzing thing was a vibrator, there was nothing else in the world sounded and had a function like that. Thinking of what Fllay was doing all this time in his room made his blood rushed to his cheeks and to his little buddy. Never before in his room had any woman done the thing that Fllay did.

Instead of greeting him with a seductive tone, (Kira expected that to happen as the conditions were perfect for 'that'), Fllay's voice quivered with fear. "I…I'm sorry but I tried hard not to think about sex since the last week we were together." Her grey eyes became moist. "Won't you believe me?"

"I-I believe you, Fllay, but…" Stammered he was, still recovering from shock but her pained expression began to trouble him. Confusion also started to make its way to his head.

The crimson-haired girl unexpectedly threw herself towards him, her arms wrapped around Kira's body. Her body trembled as she began to shed tears. The man began to panic, promptly tried to hush her weeping. Making a commotion that would stir the neighbours was the last thing Kira wanted to do now.

"Pop Creuset…Pop Creuset said that I must not service any man except him and his friends. A…actually even if I service them, it is not a good thing, isn't it? Ho…however, I didn't want you to dislike me…so, I…did a 'service' to you, whenever I got the chance. But…when I serviced you, somehow…you looked so sad…"

His amethyst eyes bulged. "Service! What do you mean by service?"

"Sorry, Kira…I'm really sorry! Forgive me!"

Kira turned his head away from her and at the same time, biting his lower lips. He just could not believe what he just heard. Even though Fllay used euphemisms to describe what had happened to her back then, she could not hide the appalling crime that they have committed towards her.

_This…this girl was…_

He merely shook his head, sorrowfully. Heavy his heart was, other than that, it also burned with immense hatred and anger.

"It must be…it must be that I am a…pervert…your eyes, your face looked sad when I'm with you…" Fllay, her tears still flowing fast, grabbed her trousers and clutched it. "I'm sorry, Kira…I'm sorry! But, my body is heating up and tingling when I think about you…I tried to hold back, very hard, but I couldn't stop it! So, I come here and…" She let her sentences unfinished. Kira surely knew what she meant.

The cherry head expected harsh words from him but got a tight embrace, instead. She resisted it, thinking that she was not worthy for him. After all, she was _filthy._

"Fllay…" Kira tried hard to pacify her. "Fllay, listen!" His loud voice ceased her resistance, although she averted his gaze. "You are no pervert, Fllay. I understand, girl…I understand. Stop crying."

"But, Kira, I…I am abnormal!" She wailed.

He cuddled her again, doing his best to calm her down. Her flaming, shoulder-length hair gave out a whiff of lime scent; his favourite. Kira stroked it slowly, hoping that her sadness would go away.

"It's not your fault…" His deep, soothing voice resonated through the Allster girl's ears. Trying to be calm he was but in actuality, he was deeply disturbed and saddened by Fllay's terrible ordeal in the past. Kira never thought such a cheerful and cute girl was treated like a mere plaything by those bastards.

_The first time we did it was just a service, then__? Other times, too? _

The chocolate-haired youth stared at the ceiling as he mused over that question while his hands kept on doing their job; calming Fllay. Bucketful of tears and a sopping wet chest later, the redhead ceased her crying and went silent as well. All she wanted was his warmth, although she wasn't sure what will happen to her next.

_Kira…what will you think of me? _

"Do you really love me?" Kira stopped gazing at the boring ceiling, focusing his eyes on her red and swelled eyes, instead. He also wiped off any traces of saline dew that still left in her fair face.

She blushed at his sudden questioning, so unexpected that she stammered in giving her reply.

"I-I do love y-you, Kira…it's not a lie."

A light kiss to her warm cheek for her answer, only to make her reddened some more. Kira got a lot of questions but did not have the heart to convey his thoughts now; Fllay looked like she was going to break into million pieces if he asked too much. However, something crossed his mind.

_I think I've found it…_

"Kira?"

Silence greeted her as he wrapped his arms around her once again. Fllay could not resist.

"If you love me that deep, you don't have to hide behind those 'services'. I won't reject or abandon you, Fllay. How dark your past was, I don't care. It's not your fault, not your fault…" Another kiss to her cheek, this time it was her left one. "If you need help, come to me, girl. You can count on me."

_I won't let you feel sad anymore…_

His assuring words moved Fllay; her eyes became dewy again. Truthfully, Kira never felt this way towards a girl, not even Mey. Even in the past, (now he realised it), he got no concrete reason why he wanted to be with Meyrin in the first place. However, when Fllay was in his arms now, it was really set in his mind that he wanted to protect this girl. He wanted to help Fllay the most; she was in pain, much, much more. In truth, Kira was still in shock. This seemingly plain girl was more than meets the eye. There were also a lot of questions needed to be answered. But, that would be saved for later; he had to satisfy his needs…

"Fllay…" He whispered to her ears, his arms now around her waist. His seductive-sounding voice made her felt all tingly and nervous.

"W-what is it?" Beating fast, her heart was.

Unexpectedly for the fiery-haired woman, he broke away from her with his head drooped.

"Can you please put on your trousers? I want to sleep so badly, I can't get aroused now…too tired…"

* * *

A/N: Finally, I have recovered from my writer's block. Next time, I will try not to succumb to it. (smile) See you all next time!

* * *


	18. What a Strange Date

Chapter 18: What a Strange Date…

Fllay stirred from her deep slumber but soon after, fell asleep again. However, something bothered her, as if someone was watching…

"Chiiii…"

Someone was! The cherry head quickly sat on the bed, with unpleasant result.

_My head…damn…_

Ignoring her slightly dizzy head, Fllay scanned everything around her. In no time she found an eye peeking from the slightly ajar door.

The peeping Tom realised that her cover was blown; she left the place in a jiffy.

"Make sure don't let him overslept until the evening, Fllay-san. He has a bad sleeping habit, you know! Gotta go to work!" Cagalli cackled, triumphantly.

Fllay could only shake her head with a rueful smile. The time was nine and Kira still sleeping like a log. His sleeping face tingled Fllay's funny bone; what a great way to start a day, she thought.

___Kira is a sloth…_A word suddenly popped out of nowhere. ___Slothy Kira…_

The Allster girl felt abashed for a moment, the word sounded weird. Then, she banished the thought and replaced with another. "So diligent, Cagalli-san is. Working during weekends…" She mused aloud, as she sat beside Kira.

_____A drink would be nice…_The woman started her day with a walk to the kitchen, humming merrily.

_____**Moments later…**_

Feeling a little bored, Fllay went back to Kira's bed and laid herself down, facing the still-sleeping man. She could have watch TV but morning shows made her felt jaded. Slowly, it came; the warm feeling inside her chest, she let her mind travelled to what happened last night. Fllay felt her heart fluttered; Kira lovingly calmed her when she felt like it was the end of the world. He readily accepted what she was, even though she was defiled. Fllay thought Kira would straight away reject her when he knew the truth but thankfully, he did not. Nonetheless, the maid with the ruby-red hair felt a little sad; she wanted Kira to be her first man. Back in her head, she was a bit bothered.

_______This guy never says "I love you", even once…__Maybe he just pitied me…_

Then, she realised something about the brunette; he was sweating profusely. Very peculiar, the crimson-haired young maid thought. She wiped them off with the edge of his blanket and carefully she did it. Waking him up from his peaceful sleep was the last thing she wanted to do now. Suddenly, she caught a whiff of distinct scent as she wiped his sweat off. Curious, Fllay neared her head towards Kira's clammy body.

_________So, this is his scent…_

Strangely, the word 'gross' was not invoked in her thought. Bodily odour and sweat was her number one enemy but Kira seemed to be an exception. How to describe it?

___________It was…intoxicating._Giggles escaped her tiny mouth.___________My man smells like this…_

She blushed at the idea. Maybe love clouded her judgement, she reflected as her lively lips motioned into a smile. With care, the cherry head laid her head on his naked chest, and brushed her lips against it. Then, she moved towards his cheeks and neck, hungry for his scent. Groggily, he said:

"What are you doing, Miss Allster?" His lips ventured a sly smile.

"Does your brain hard-wired for perversion only?" Fllay returned a sly grin of her own.

_____****________**Several minutes later…**_

"Are you done?"

Kira took the house keys, ready to go out. Fllay surely took her time, the chocolate head groaned inwardly. Anyway, he had to send her back. She was a maid, working 7 days a week was a norm for her. He just got a feeling that her visit yesterday was one of her 'unauthorised outings' and of course, landing her into trouble was not his intention.

"Fllay? Hurry up, girl!" He had finished putting on his shoes when eerie silence troubled him. The cherry head did not answer his call. Worry began to creep into his heart, building in intensity as the silence continued. Kira rushed towards his room, opened the door…

And found Fllay Allster still sitting on his bed, her eyes stared at the outside world through his room's windows. Seeing her like that stung his heart.

_______________She looked so fragile…gonna broke up with a slightest touch…_

"Fllay?" Kira put his right hand on her shoulders; the other hand caressed her fiery hair.

"I don't want to go home yet…." The girl met his gaze forlornly but wearing a cute pout on her face.

"But…" A stop and a sigh. Fllay understood what this meant. Her pout turned into big grin and in no time, Kira was engulfed by her tightest bear hug ever.

_________________Awww, look at her smile…_

"Well, let's go out, then." He managed to give her a quick kiss to her forehead, despite all the restraint that she imposed on him.

With that, a new determination rose inside his heart. He would not break this girl's heart, like he had done to the other one before. There was no point going back with the other redhead, he would bound to do the same thing again, he thought. History had shown that would be the case and he convinced that Fllay would give him a new start that he searched for.

* * *

"Hey, look at that shop! Let's stop there for a while." Kira excitedly exclaimed.

Fllay furrowed her brows; confused. Their peaceful walk mixed with a bit of friendly talk was suddenly interrupted by this sudden turn of events. She could not quite get it why he wanted to go to that small gift shop.

Whoosh. The cold air-conditioned air inside the shop flew past their face. Kira looked like he was in heaven while Fllay was…was sweatdropping.

"Look at this, Fllay! So fluffy…so warm…"

___________________This bad-ass, egoistic guy loves __teddy bear__?! _She brushed a bit of her crimson hair to the back of her ear as she squatted next to him, who was still in sheer ecstasy. Fllay watched him as if she just knew Kira for a few minutes ago.

"Wow, I love this guy. He's not so small, not too big. Perfect!" He chattered animatedly, ignoring her intent stare.

___________________He look__ed so happy…So cute…_A strong feeling surfaced inside Fllay's heart and it was growing in intensity for each second she watched him. The urge was soon become unbearable to resist; she just let it flow.

"Errr…Fllay?"

The fiery-haired maid kissed him on the cheek and then, embraced him lovingly. Kira just froze there and smiled sheepishly as a kid rooted into her place, watching them with interest until her mother pulled her away quickly. The moment of bliss went on for a while…

"I never seen you like this before, Kira…you looked so cute, chattering happily about mere teddy bears…" She gave out a toothy grin.

He blushed like he never blushed before. "Ah…ha, ha, ha…" Nervous laugh escaped his mouth. "Shit, my true self was exposed."

The maid stood up and she extended her hand; a gesture for him to stand up. Kira unhesitatingly complied, only to be led by her to a hidden corner, far away from prying eyes. There, she gave him a deep kiss. That guy was quite surprised by her reaction about discovering his fondness of teddy bears but what the heck, as long she accepted it, he would not mind.

Fllay broke off, forming a thin bridge of saliva between his and her wet lips. "Oh, Kira…you're such a perplexing guy. Never get bored being together with you…"

He chuckled. "What am I? An interesting specimen?"

"I rather called you an endangered species, Kira. Very, very rare…"

"Wow, that's extreme."

"That's why I'm glad that I got you…" She attacked him again with her kisses.

_____****________****______**Several **__**hours later, in a small café…**_

"My, my…my shameless brother is being openly lovey-dovey in front of his innocent sister…" Hands to her cheeks, the yellow-haired tomboy faked an embarrassed-looking face. "And you asked Fllay-san to buy that teddy bear for you, am I right? Spoilt brat…" She patted her brother's head.

Fllay could not help but to smile while sweatdropping as Kira popped a lot of veins out of annoyance. Who would not be annoyed when looking at your own sister acting like that?

"Just scram already, Cagalli. You're a pest here. Shoo, shoo!"

"BLECHHHH!!" His sister stuck out a tongue. "I will bother both of you again, be warned!" After that, Cagalli ran off, together with a tray in her clutches.

"Shit, what a nice place to hang out…" The brown head guy scratched his head while watching the blonde disappearing into the kitchen. "Sorry, for the ruckus, Fllay." He, gloomy in face, shifted his gaze to the cherry head.

Sunshine penetrated the cloudy day, though. "I don't mind, Kira. Your sister is cute…" She giggled and then tried her chocolate pudding. "Mmmm…"

Fllay always did that, Kira noticed it. A real angel; turning a living hell into a pleasant heaven, she was. While Fllay busied herself with the pudding, Kira settled his eyes on her, watching her every move.

_____________________Still can't believe this girl is with me now…_

"Wow, this pudding is superb. I wonder if Cagalli-san herself made it--Kira?" She withdrew the spoon from her mouth. "Hello?"

_______________________Fuck…I want answers to her mysteries…but…but…_

A knock to his head jolted him back, back to the real world. But, it was not from her; the girl in front of him, though. Fllay would not hit him with a silver tray--wait, silver tray?

"Hey, don't stare at a girl too much, stupid brother. You look silly, moron." Cagalli pinched his ears while cleaning the table. Apparently, Fllay had finished her pudding when Kira busied himself with his own musings. "Moreover, you made Fllay-san nervous, you know."

"Ouch, ouch, chhh, chhh…Cagalli! Stop that!" Cagalli promptly let his poor ears go. "Don't you have better things to do?" Kira glared at the waitress.

"Why, I am protecting the sanctity of this place, you know. Fllay-san should be protected from lecherous stinking guy like you!" The blonde folded her arms in defensive manner, taunting him.

"What a bull." Immensely irritated, the brunette quickly grabbed Fllay's hand and began to walk away from that place. "Let's go somewhere else and leave that stupid woman. You pay the whole thing, _little sis..._"

"Hey, where are you going? Pay, you asshole!" Cagalli threw something at her brother and bull's-eye.

"Paper cup won't bring me down, Cagalli." Kira paid back her tongue-sticking act earlier with his middle finger. A silver spoon whizzed past his head but he managed to side-step just in time.

"But, Kira…" Fllay protested. "I want to taste other--"

Not even her cute pouts helped her this time…

_____****________****______****______**Meanwhile…**_

"Hey, Kira! Are you home?" A guy, looking very bored, was shouting behind Kira's gate. Too bad for him, his trip to Kira's house had wasted his time.

___________________________That guy…changed his number, too. Damn…_

Having enough of shouting and ringing the bell, Dearka turned away and began to kick starts his motorcycle.

* * *

"Darn, now it's raining!" Kira, all wet, began to shout obscenities to everything all around him, starting from the clouds right to the bus stop, even though he knew he would be darn vulnerable to the cold, unforgiving rain without the latter.

Our redhead maid could only zip her mouth while watching him grumbling and all moody. She was drenched, too and compared to Kira, her position was even worse. Her trousers had mud stain on it. A supposedly great day for her turned out to be like this, how sad…

"Shut up, your mouth…" She murmured.

Abrupt stop and then, stare. "Come again?" His brow creased.

"I said, shut up, punk! You're making it worse!" Fllay snapped. Now, the deafening sound of the rain had a challenger. "I don't understand you…happy at one time, then acting like a jerk at the other. I thought I could enjoy the day together with you, but you suddenly ruined a great day, just like that. I wanted to taste--"

"Fuck, still thinking about food!" Kira shot her back.

"How dare you?! Food is the most important thing in the world, without food--"

"Shut the fuck up, pig! What is your point, act--"

A score of hits to his head. "Don't interrupt me, asshole! You're no better than me, punk! Cursing here and there, you don't even spare the very bench that you sat on! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Fine!" Kira banged on the wooden wall behind him but Fllay hardly blinked at all. "I'm upset because I want to spend quality time with you and yet, things suddenly go fucked up like that…"

His anger quickly dissipated. The heat in his body, which was generated from his frustration and anger earlier, now had changed its power source. Embarrassment proved to be much powerful heat generator.

All wet and flustered, Fllay quickly avoided him, with her back facing the stuttering man. Silence ensued. They stayed like that for a while until Kira blinked first. He moved closer towards her.

_____________________________Is he going to hug me? Or kiss? Then, say sorry? Predictable, Kira…I won't forgive you that easily…_Fllay switched to her 'frowning mode', while waiting anxiously what will happen next.

Well, he bent his body and his hands deftly cleaned all the mess on her trousers. That was unexpected, she thought. Fllay was mute and so was he; his hands were doing the work, not his mouth.

Frustration gave way to tenderness. Her heart felt like a bar of chocolate, slowly melting because of the 'heat' that he radiated. Fllay stretched out a hand and ran her fingers along his wet, ruffled hair. He did not look up; Fllay could feel his embarrassment.

"Kira, come…" She brought his head to her chest, stroking it lovingly.

_____________________________What a shy guy…__with a formidable ego…_

"Sorry for snapping at you, Kira."

Finally, he stirred into life. "No, it was me who supposed to be sorry. You're not at fault, Fllay…" With face buried in her damp chest, his voice was muffled. "I am a jerk."

"Hmmph." The girl promptly let go of his head and shoved it away. Truthfully, it was just a game; she wanted to play hard to get. However, the brunette thought it the other way. Facing rejection, Kira simply freeze and looking all glum.

"So, what will you do, boy?"

No answer. It stayed that way for a long time. She realised her game had turned foul. Fllay got up and sighed. "I'm gonna leave you, if you are like this…" She slowly stepped out of the bus stop and walked into the rain. Actually, she did not intend to leave like that. Fllay thought Kira would patch things up immediately but that guy just keeps mum and done nothing.

But, she did not have to walk far to get her wish.

"Forgive me, Fllay…" Fllay was stopped in her tracks because of his arms wrapped around her slim waist. "I'm really bad at apologising but it really hurts me if you stopped smiling happily…really, really a jerk, I am...when I hurt you, I am hurt, too." He was seeking warmth amidst the cold rain, but not physically. Her body already turned cold, he was aware of that.

_______________________________Shit, Kira! You promised that you will never hurt her! But, what have you done, dickhead?!_

"Tell me, Kira…do you really love me? I'm not going to be angry with you nor pushing you to love me if you don't." Her ultimatum was ice-cold, too.

If she was frosty in her talk, then his reply this time would be…

Fllay could only whimper as Kira quickly captured her lips and locked it in a passionate dance. His kiss was ever-warm. Everything all around both of them was forgotten; they let themselves indulge in the sweetness of each other's kiss. Kira slowly broke the kiss and opened his eyes, looking into Fllay's. She opened her eyes as a light smile crossed her lips.

"Convinced now, girl?" The brunette petted her wet, dark crimson hair.

"No--" She frowned and as a result, another lusty moan escaped her mouth when Kira gave her one more kiss, much deeper this time.

Then, they broke off again, gasping for air.

"I really love you, Fllay. I'm a jerk but you're the only one who can save me…don't give up on me, love…" His lips curled into a warm smile, the one he reserved only for the girl he now loved.

"Don't call yourself like that, honey…" Kira seemed taken aback when she said this. "You're no jerk. You're nice, warm, and lovely man--"

"Wait a minute. Why _lovely_?"

"Could you just zip your mouth for a while? Let a lady finishes her sentence, 'kay?" She gave him a piercing glare.

"Yes, ma'am!" Kira immediately presented a terse salute to his mistress.

"Where was I? Oh yes…lovely man, you are, but a bit too shy admitting your true feeling. Just don't hold back. I'm not a stranger; I'm your lover, right?" She smiled back while dreamily gazing at his purple eyes.

Kira nodded. "You're right, love." Shortly after, a quick peck to her left cheek. "The best girl I ever had, you are, Fllay Allster…"

Seeing her face turned beet-red, Kira continued, "See, I can say nice things sometimes, right?"

Hearing this, Fllay giggled. "Yes, it is really _sometimes_."

_________________________________Ouch, she gives me sharp words…_

Feeling much better now, Fllay snuggled up to Kira, then. The two were in their own world until someone snapped both of them out of their lovey-dovey world, by using a bus horn.

_____****________****______****______****__________**Meanwhile, somewhere else…**_

Dearka sighed for a dozen times already, while waiting for the rain to stop. Occasionally, he paced here and there; he simply had nothing better to do.

"Come on, Rain. Stop it already, 'kay? I'm tired of waiting." He tapped his helmet, which nestled on the bike's seat. He heaved a deep breath, again. "What an unlucky day…"

The blonde man walked away from his bike after he secured it to an iron pillar. Initially, he was on an aimless journey along the roofed sidewalk. But, now, he found his destination: a small café.

"A Darjeeling tea won't be bad…" He chuckled to himself. Strong aroma of all type of beverages tickled his olfactory senses. Dearka took a seat, waited for a while and placed his order.

_____________________________________What a joke. Dearka, dude, drinking a tea like a gentleman, _he thought. He fished for his friend-in-the-box and produced it out, only to sheepishly put it back into his pocket when a young woman glared at him.

"Still smoking, D?" The woman raised a brow. He was not surprised to hear that the petite lass was familiar with him. Dearka did not have to.

"It's been a while, Luna. Where have you been all these times?"

"Went back to my parents' place. Got bored, so I returned to Heliopolis. My, everything changed a lot." She took out a cheap-looking rubber band out of her handbag and tied her shoulder-length hair into a neat pony-tail. The tanned blonde watched her every move intently.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." Lunamaria flicked his forehead lightly with a smile.

"You've changed too, Luna."

"You betcha. Trying to make me melt under your ever-sharp scrutiny, hmmm?"

"Nah, maybe some other time, I guess. How's your little sister?" Dearka slowly sipped his piping hot tea.

Luna's expression darkened a bit. "She's like a zombie, you know. Don't know what has happened to her. Over the phone, she sounded like normal but when I meet her face to face, it's…I don't know what to say, D."

"Have you tried to talk to her into it?"

"Planning to."

"I think she's tired. Of something, maybe…"

"Hope that nothing serious happened to her…" Luna clasped her hands together. "Everything has changed, D. Tolle is dead, I still can't believe that. Haven't been to his grave yet. How about you?"

"Not yet but I was planning to go there today. Just coming back from Kira's place and invited him together with me; he's missing. Now, it's raining. Guess I have to cancel the trip."

Luna gave him a pensive look. "I wonder how he is now. I mean that Yamato guy."

"Okay, I think…" His tanned face turned darker, face heavy with guilt. "Leaving him behind after the incident haunted me, Luna. Should've been with him but…"

Luna comforted the blonde with a weak smile on her face. "What has happened, happened, D. Let it pass. It may be inappropriate now but I know I don't have to sugar coat this: He's the one who brought the disaster upon himself and upon us, too. And yes, I really like to have a word or two with him." Her eyes turned into mere slits.

Dearka chuckled. He knew her intention.

"Oww, come on, Luna. Leave that guy alone. I think Meyrin is better off without him now…" His remarks earned a hard slap to his right hand.

"Better off without him? You don't know anything, D." The purple-haired woman hissed. "Here's an extra scoop for you. A bit stale, but never mind. You'll be interested anyway."

"Hoh? I'll buy that one." Dearka began to sip his tea again.

"Meyrin is with the guy who is being a chum to the very guy, the silver-haired bastard, who destroyed our 'base' and almost killed Kira. Kira is a much better guy than him--"

Dearka's reaction was all too expected. Luna quickly grabbed a small plate next to her and raised it. She could not afford to have his expensive Darjeeling tea being all over her pretty face.

But, everything happened damn fast. Dearka did not spray the tea at her face, instead he screamed in rage, startling an unfortunate customer next to them. Somehow, that customer was very poor in his cutlery skills and due to shock that Dearka gave him; a drumstick suddenly became "alive" and took flight towards his immediate neighbours.

Poor Lunamaria, she had prepared for a frontal assault from Dearka but got hit at her face by a greasy and nicely fried projectile. Her meticulous planning turned into a waste, in the end.

_____****________****______****______****__________****__**At the same time**__**…  
**_

The bus rocked gently as it travelled along the road. Finally, the newly-made couple could get home without having to wait for the rain to cease. However, both of them were uneasy sitting inside that bus; not because of their close proximity with each other, though.

The driver chortled teasingly. "Hey, there are a lot of seats back there. You two don't have to be like trilobites, sticking together like there is no tomorrow. Well, sitting separately won't do any harm. It gonna dry up those wet clothes pretty fast…" Then, his tune turned poisonously sarcastic. "Oh, forgive me for my near-sightedness. Couples should be like that. Be wild, boy! Don't let conscience be a party-pooper! Make your girl screams in pure ecstasy!"

Fllay gave out a whimper of embarrassment while Kira did not have the luxury to be all ashamed or flustered like her. He simply threw both of his walking shoes to the driver.

"Fuck you, yellow gorilla! Concentrate on your driving, you gonna get us killed by you stupid fantasies!" Finally, the contagious disease called shame infected him.

"Oh my, you're blabbering nonsense." The blonde in his 30s sneered.

"Whose fault is that, **moron**?!" Kira stood up and pointed his trembling finger at his old boss. "You-you-**you**!!" That punk was all flustered, trying very hard to spew out his words. "Where have you been, Mwu?! Disappeared without a trace, you have no idea how much I **miss** you!!"

An awkward silence ensued. Only the rumble of the engine filled the rectangle-shaped, slow-moving box.

"I miss you, too…my **peon**."

That took a while for his words to register inside the brunette's head.

"F-**fuck you**, old man!"

"Enough with all this stupid bickering, both of you!" Fllay tried hard to stop the chocolate head 'devil' from strangling Mwu but her eyes suddenly detected a much more dangerous 'devil' ahead of the road.

"Stop, Mwu-san! STOP!! THERE'S A TRAFFIC POLICE UP AHEAD!!"

A loud screech followed after. Fortunately, no one had to die today. The bus finally stopped, just mere inches from the police officer.

The traffic police slowly dismounted from his blue and white bike. Mwu knew what will happen next and he frantically tried to open the driver's door but it got jammed. Cursing under his breath, he slammed one of the colourful buttons on the dashboard. The main door glided open and without any hesitation, Mwu jumped out from his driver's seat. Without looking back at the couple, that man got out from the bus and musters all of his strength into his two legs.

"Well, well, you do have fear for the police. Next time, try putting the word 'caution' in your driving, **asshole**!" The man in the white uniform shouted in a gruff voice. His black aviator glass glinted, highlighting a police officer's coolness. He did not have to go after Mwu; he got his bus and most importantly, there were witnesses inside.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" The burly man with a handle bar moustache produced a small note and a pen.

Kira gulped. He had a good reason to fear; the police officer got a 'bad cop' aura around him. Of all the words in this world, only one came out…

"**Fuck**…"

Promptly, the officer jotted it down.

* * *

A/N: Wow, I never knew that I have a fan in South Africa. Thank you for the support, minna! (smiles) However, I still need more comments on my fic to improve my work. You see, guys, without your reviews too, I have to take longer period of time to generate ideas for the next chapters. In the past, updating this fic was easy. Now, it is not like that anymore. Moreover, I feel like a blind person: all of you guys out there are just like my eyes. I really need those extra 'eyes'. Any advices, comments or criticism or maybe extra ideas are fuel for the improvement of my writing and people, I need your feedbacks and in turn, I will try to give my best to you. See you all next time! (bows)


	19. Seeds of Trouble

Chapter 19: Seeds of Trouble

-

-

-

"Your small truck is nice, Mwu. A mobile burger stand, cool." Kira said this while wrapping a burger into a neat package and handed it to a waiting old lady. That was the last customer for the night.

"Better than the last stall, eh?" Mwu smiled. His hands were busy cleaning the grilling plate. "Nice to have you back, boy. Want to rejoin me, being partners again?"

The smirking brunette put his hands on both his sides. "Whoa, that was fast. I'm just helping you for one night." Then, he cackled. "Finally, you acknowledged my usefulness, old man."

"**You're** my hand, young man."

The youth beamed as Mwu continued his work. Finally, bits from his old life came back, Kira thought. Before long, the older blonde finished all the cleaning and motioned Kira to enter the ride. In a short time, they were on the road.

Mwu popped a fag into his mouth and lighted it. He puffed a few smoke before he reinitiated his conversation with Kira.

"You've changed, boy."

"I'm still me, man. No change." Kira answered his senior but his eyes were somewhere else. "Where have you been since that day, Mwu?"

The man in his 30s took another few puffs before snuffing the cigarette out. He sighed.

"I had to run away from this place, boy. It was hot here and thanks to you, Kira." Mwu stole a glance at the younger lad. He was listening, in silence. Then, Mwu continued. "A few days after that night, some thugs wrecked my house and some of our guys', too. Hell, lucky me. I wasn't at home at that time. Damn efficient lot, those bastards. They purged almost all of our men, from the top right until the bottom…"

Kira was not there to watch the purge first-hand. He only witnessed the aftermath of Yzak Joule's gang retaliation. Some were killed during the brawl on that night; others were either eliminated a few days after or defected to their group. Only a few survived to tell the story to him. Those few fled out of town, too.

Nevertheless, one thing kept Kira perplexed up until now. If, Yzak's gang was hell-bent on punishing him and his group, why they did not eliminate him? They left him alone; an act of mercy? A couple of other possibilities ran through his mind.

Being merciful was not one of their traits; Kira absolutely sure about that. Then, he realised a mistake. It was not Yzak's gang; the de facto leader of that bunch of hooligans was that _blue-haired guy_. What was his name again?

_Athrun_.

That name brought back something that Kira almost forgot. His eyes narrowed, trying hard to concentrate.

_OK, Yzak came from nowhere and messed with us. __How come an unknown group who knew nothing of us suddenly wants to mess up with us? Early scouting? No…that can't be. If that was the case, why they eliminated must of our group but not me? I was the one who disturbed the hornets' nest. As if they waited for a chance like that-_

Kira's face soured. He was almost there but was not.

_To destroy my group… that's right! My strength lies with the group and they eliminate them…for what?__ Because I took Yzak's bike? That's SO childish of them…and why they spared me? Why?  
_

His head felt messy. Everything he thought earlier did not make any sense at all. Finally, he stopped thinking about it. Nothing good would come if he kept on busying on past matters.

"You fucked all lot, don't you?"

Mwu's sudden question flabbergasted Kira. "W-WHAT?!"

"I've read about that in mags. Look at your belly; bulging like that. Surely you fucked a lot. Poor Missy…" The blonde grinned.

"None of your business, old geezer. The mags that you read are fakes. There is no such thing as fucking a lot will cause your belly to become bulbous. I just ate a lot and having less physical activities." The young man shifted his gaze to the passing view outside. "No need to point at me, even you have that kind of belly…"

Without tearing his look from the window, Kira's hand reached for Mwu's unprotected stomach and pinched it - _hard_.

-

-

-

_**Several weeks later…**_

-

-

-

Kira walked slowly towards his destination. There was no hurry for him; to hasten his steps seemed like being disrespectful to the people all around him – the denizens of a desolate place, filled with cold, concrete tomb and mute grave markings.

At last, he reached the person he wanted to visit. A single grave marking gazed at him, bearing the name:

KOENIG, TOLLE.

The brunette looked around and found a broom in the vicinity.

"It's been a while since the last time I visited you. Man, you looked quite dirty, dude…" Kira busied himself cleaning the dead leaves and twigs on Tolle's grave and then, put some fresh flowers on the newly-cleaned spot.

"I have been toying with this idea, man: to avenge your death. The question is, can I? It's hard, Tolle old friend, but still, I want to pay back what you have done to me. You were there, with Dearka, defending me even though it was clearly my fault…"

Kira made himself comfortable next to Tolle, as if he was sitting with a living man.

"Hey, guess what." He picked a pebble and with a cool face, Kira threw it as far as he could. "I came here with a Super Cub, just like the old days. I borrowed it, though. Planning to buy a new bike but still can't decide which one to buy. Well, better save a bit more bucks to buy a bad-ass bike. At least, that's better than using the same old fucking Cub. Am I right, buddy?"

The surroundings were eerily peaceful, as expected from a graveyard. No one would dare to disturb the peace, except for some people who were eating happily in front of a grave that they visited. What a strange bunch of idiots, Kira mused as his mind wandered back to the time when he came here several months ago.

"Hey, what about if I do a wheelie in front of you, old friend?"

Silence.

"I bet you gonna curse me for that, man." He laughed. "The same thing that made you reached Nirvana…"

Realising that he spent too much time with the dead, Kira rose up and brushed off some dirt on his butt. Afterwards, he looked at his buddy with a broad smile before he left for the world of the living.

"I already got a new girl, Tolle. Started being with her a few weeks ago. Next time, I will bring her with me. Gotta go now, dude. Take care…"

-

-

-

_**An hour or two later…**_

-

-

-

The light was red. Kira slumped lazily on the dashboard while waiting for the traffic light to change its colour. The noise of all sort of vehicles were all around him but it was nothing compared to the noise he used to hear in the past. His heart could not help to feel a bit nostalgic but he just killed it, anyway, with watching an endless stream of fast-moving bikes and cars in front of him.

Without Kira noticing, another bike stopped besides him. The rider of a bike with customised paint job took a casual glance at his immediate neighbour and then, slowly looked forward. Suddenly realising that it WAS Kira, the rider resettled his eyes upon the sleepy-looking brunette.

Our hero was still in his world until his neighbour in a full face helmet tapped his black open face helmet. Feeling a little bewildered, Kira looked at that guy as the neighbouring rider pointed at the sticker plastered on the front part of his bike's plastic cover set.

EAT MY SMOKE!!

_Wow, that was SO crude…_Kira chuckled to himself. Putting aside that stupid sticker, this bike got a fucking good look, he thought.

"Hey, nice paint job!" He praised the owner of the bike with a smile.

However, his smile faded as the next rider revving up his bike to the max, making a hell lot of noise. Other bikers all around them knew something nasty would happen next, so they move father away from the duo.

Kira knew this signal, too. He had gone through this thing countless times already. Without any hesitation, he also revved up the throttle of his bike. Both riders waited eagerly for the red light to change.

_Impudent bastard! Don't assume that you can beat this former champ!_

There it was! The green light! The duo started off with a wheelie and that act stayed for a while until Kira touched the ground first. He enjoyed the lead but racing with this guy, nothing was permanent. The challenger managed to keep up with him and shortly after, left the brunette in his smoky wake.

_Fuck! What happened once won't happen twice, damn it!_

Worries go to hell. He did not want to lose again, not when he was in his top form. Kira gave a quick apology to Shinn, just in case if something would go wrong but hopefully, _with a bit of luck_, the worst case scenario won't happen. Kira continued to speed up his bike, hoping to catch up with the guy in front of him.

Both of them did not care about the heavy traffic or the dirty looks that all those road users gave to them. The duo owned the road now.

_Fuck off and just watch! _Kira saw a ripe opportunity to overtake his opponent: in form of a roundabout. If that guy slowed down, overtaking him would be easy. However, if he would do something stupid like accelerating in a corner, death would be a sure thing.

_Do I have to call Yuuna from hell to tell him that?_

With a glee, he just waited for the perfect moment to come. And he was right, the impudent challenger slowed down. Without wasting any time, Kira swerved to the right a bit; he nearly kissed the ground and crashed but he was able to put it back on a normal position due to his quick reflexes.

_We're even now, man…_

Kira tapped the gear and put his bike in the first gear.

_Just a little bit…_

Now was the right time for a full throttle. Kira did not waste much time to grasp the opportunity. He was able to pass him!

_Hahahahaha!! It's your turn to eat smoke!_

Celebration ensued, only to be spoiled by none other than the black-helmeted rider. Soon, he was able to catch up with Kira and motioned him to stop.

_Won't admit your defeat, eh? Let's settle this with our fist!_

Two bikes stopped abruptly at the roadside. Two men dismounted from their respective bikes and assumed a fighting stance. The challenger was able to draw the first blood and Kira fell unceremoniously to the ground. As the brown-haired youth staggered to his feet, the slender man, still with his helmet on, gave Kira another hard punch to the face.

Kira could not take it anymore. Pissed off, he was, not only to the man in front of him but also to his own feebleness. In a fit of rage, he charged towards the unknown man albeit his body was getting weak. Kira just won't care what will happen next, the brunette wanted to liquidate this guy once and for all!

As expected, he failed miserably. His opponent sent him flailing and flying with a nicely placed kick to the abdomen. Landed hard on the ground, our hero was.

At this moment, his mind suddenly thought of Fllay. Funny…

_Ah…he is going towards me now…Finishing moves?_

Kira tried to bounce back to put up another fight but he just slumped to the ground, feeling terribly sore and weak.

_Fllay…shit…I shouldn't redo this mistake…I don't want to have another trip to that __room, ridiculously sterilised and filled with old nurses and awfully friendly doctors… _

He raised a hand, a sign of surrender. God, how he really hoped this gesture would stop his would-be killer but this was the only thing he could do now…

_O Powerful One, I know you are there somewhere…but I beg you, I won't do anything stupid again…See, I didn't curse at you, God…I don't want to die young but please, please…for Fllay's sake…I can't leave her now. She needs me…that girl…_

Tried as Kira might, Kira's adversary did not show any sign of stopping or mercy just because of his sign of surrender. Finally, he reached Kira, towering above him like Alexander above Darius. The brunette resumed his resistance but the only resistance that the chocolate head could still offer was a piercing, cold glare of defiance.

"I won't go off silently, **bastard**…"

_Wait a minute…maybe this works…_

* * *

"What is it…?"

Strangely, Fllay felt so troubled, so anxious but she was unsure exactly about what she was worrying about. The young maid got her face crumpled for the whole day and naturally, a number of people noticed it. Of course, they gave their own interpretation to that.

Andrew: "Feeling sick, Fllay?" (She lightly shook her head and continued her mopping of the floor. Andrew walked past her, sighing.)

Meer: "Are you hungry, Fllay onee-chan? Here…for you. Sorry, it's a bit small." (Fllay wolfed down the chocolate bar but continued to have a glum face. Meer was perplexed but came to a conclusion that the maid was not hungry at the first place. She took the chocolate because…well, that was so Fllay. The pink princess sweatdropped as she watched the redhead walked away, dejectedly.)

Orga: "Oh, your monthly 'nightmare' already arrived. How exciting-" (A well-deserved hand chop landed on the back of green-haired slime's neck, sending him to…Anyway, Fllay grimaced when she saw Orga's smiling face…she had sent him to a wrong place.)

However, a comment from the final person to notice her made the cherry head turned red and spewing out steam from her ears.

Aisha: "Ah, my little Fllay was being lovey-dovey…worried about that bloke, don't you? (Fllay, all flustered, and vehemently she said "No" as she pushed Aisha away. There was one thing that she forgot, though. Fllay was holding the ladder for Aisha, who was trying to clean a hard-to-reach cobweb on the reading room ceiling.)

-

-

-

_**Several minutes later…**_

-

-

-

"Sorry, Aisha-san! I'm really s-sorry!" The Allster girl was continuously pleading for mercy from the still-frowning azure-haired woman. Noticing that the older maid's mood did not change to the better, Fllay went into her 'Boo-hoo-hoo' mode. That made the porcelain feature of the senior maid grew even darker.

"Oh, you made her go 'Boo-hoo-hoo'. Tsk, tsk." The butler of the house came into the room and went straight to inspect the long-haired maid's sprained foot. Wearing a poker face, he just lifted it like that.

"Damn it, Andy, be careful! You're hurting me!" Aisha screamed in pain. Then, she realised that Andrew was lifting her leg too high. Instinctively, her hands went off to protect one of her precious assets.

"Fuck, you DID that on purpose, didn't you, **Andy**?" She glared at the smirking butler. "Put it down!"

"Oh, alright…" Andrew let go, her foot went down in a free-fall.

Even the crying Fllay stopped her sobbing when she saw what was happening in front of her. Obviously, because she knew what happened next would be very, _very _painful for Aisha.

"**NOOOO!!**"

Soon after Aisha screamed like that, Andrew caught her foot with a snigger. His action hurts; the woman contorted her face in pain.

"**ANDREW WALTFELD-SAN!!**"

As that enraged voice shook the little room, the dazed butler knew he was in immediate trouble. Even Aisha did not anticipate such an outburst.

"What's wrong with you, Andrew-san?! What you did was a blatant sexual harassment and…and…you are **hurting** her, **humiliating** her!! Gone mad or something, did you?! I hate you, Andrew-san!!" Fllay did not just practically screamed at the top of her lungs, she even tried to snuff the air out of Andrew's lungs.

The butler tried his best not to pouring more oil to the fire. "R-relax, Fllay. I'm just playing around…" He ignored the redhead's death glare and shifted his sight towards the bed-ridden woman. "Well, with that injury, day-offs are a sure thing, baby! A week or two, maybe." The brown-haired butler spoke merrily albeit Fllay's hands still have a grip on his neck.

"Oh, shit…" Fllay muttered lowly under her breath. Her then-red face turned ghostly white as she realised something. Her death grip loosened, releasing the butler who immediately ran away from the scene.

_No Valentine's Day for me…_

-

-

-

_**Somewhere, at a roadside eatery…**_

-

-

-

Dearka was in a jolly mood while Kira was not. While watching the dark-skinned blonde enjoying his fried noodle, the brunette with the dishevelled hair cursed himself for being so stupid.

-

-

-

_**What happened earlier…**_

-

-

-

As the guy in a black helmet towering over him, Kira thought this would be the _real _end of him. His fatalistic side hoped that his opponent would finish him quickly; he did not want any painful death. However, somewhere at the corner of his heart, Kira really wished that he would survive this crisis in one piece.

_Wait a minute…maybe this works…_

Kira let his head fell sideways, shut his eyes and slowed down his breathing. He really hoped that this façade would work. In contrary, there was no finishing blow or something like that like what Kira expected. Instead, the unknown man lifted him up from the ground and brushed away any dirt on his body.

"Great as ever, dude. But, you need a better bike. One more thing, you won't pass out that easily just by two punches and one kick to your belly, stupid." The mysterious guy spoke out but with a muffled voice, thanks to his full-faced helmet.

Kira, all dazed a few minutes ago, suddenly realised how foolish he was. However, when he wanted to shout back at that guy, Kira just froze there as his nemesis removed his helmet...

-

-

-

_**Present time…**_

-

-

-

"Aww, come on, Kira. No need to stare at me like that. Hey, you should go for showbiz career, dude. _Nice _acting." Dearka boomed into laughter.

"Ah…hahahaha…" Kira gave out a nervous laugh, a weak try to hide his discomfort. But, something still felt not right. "I thought you were _dead_!!"

"Well, you know me…I'm _lucky_." The older young man ended his declaration with a grin.

"Lucky, your ass." Kira spoke with a face full of scepticism. But, it softened shortly after. "Yeah, you're one damn lucky guy, D. Tell me your story."

"That night, a bullet just grazed my head. _Just_, Kira! Look…" He showed the scar that ran along the side of his head, just above his left ear.

"What the fuck…" Amethyst eyes bulged.

"Then, those asses could not find my body. Hey, because I fell into the drain, dude! Lost my consciousness and as I regained my senses back, found myself in a hospital bed and of course, still in Heliopolis-"

"Wait a minute; you were still here during that time?"

"Yeah…but I escaped to other town shortly after that-"

"Damn it, D! We stayed in the same hospital!"

Dearka wrapped an arm around Kira and brought him closer. "Look, I'm really sorry for not contacting you, man. But, at that time, my life was in danger-"

"Mine, too, D!" Kira pushed him away. "I'm the one who did something stupid that night, remember? So, why they have to shed a lot of blood? If they wanted to kill someone, I'm supposed to be the one that they wanted!"

The lanky blonde did not have the mood to be angry tonight. All he could do was to look at his friend coolly.

"Revenge…revenge, D. Do you want to take that option?"

The blonde waved away the brunette's question. "I'll let you think about it, bro. Just sit here. Gonna order something." Dearka slowly left the table.

The brunette watched his friend's back as he left him. His mind was tumultuous, what Dearka said just now echoed over and over again in his ears.

"…_think about it, bro…"_

Soon after, Dearka returned to their table. Gone was his cold expression, replaced by a merry one.

"I ordered something cool for you, dude!" He gave a toothy grin.

Kira creased his forehead. "What's that?"

"Just wait-" Dearka caught a glimpse of a muscular, long-haired man walking towards them, who brought a tall, flower-like device. "Here it is!"

The man in the wife-beater put the contraption on their table. "If you need my help, call me," he said and then left confused Kira and grinning Dearka behind.

"What the fuck is this…this _thing_?" The chocolate-head youth took the hose, which was connected to the device, and smelled the end of the hose.

His baffled expression made Dearka burst into laughter. "This is **shisha**, you idiot!" The tanned blonde snatched the hose from annoyed Kira and pointed the end to his own face. "How about **hookah**, then?"

"Shit, D! Just tell me how to use this darn thing! I don't need your general knowledge lecture!" Kira hissed. He acted as if that thing was a threat to him.

"Relax, dude. Look…" Dearka took the end of the hose to his mouth and sucked it. No, it was not _sucking_. As if Dearka was inhaling _something_ from the wooden end through his mouth. Shortly after that, he let go of the tube and exhaled a whitish smoke from his mouth and nose, just like _smoking_.

"Fuck, this thing is just like a cigarette, you moron! Don't you know that I never take tobacco?!"

Even when Kira looked at him irritably, Dearka remained calm and took another puff from the shisha.

"That's why I ordered tobacco-free shisha, idiot. This one got strawberry flavour in it. You like strawberry, don't you?" He smirked at Kira, who was immediately flustered by his remarks.

"W-why don't you tell me earlier? Let me try!" Kira took the hose in a flash and imitated what Dearka did earlier.

_This__ thing is just like peanut for me! Hahaha!_

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

"Slowly, Kira. Slowly." Dearka, who was sweatdropping, patted the brunette's back repeatedly as he coughed the smoke. "Inhale as deep as you can then exhale slowly. Don't swallow the smoke."

Kira, brash as ever, won't easily admit defeat. Thankfully, his second attempt was successful; majestic smoke flowed out from his mouth.

"Hey, this is fun!" He smoked again, and again and again. Kira never thought a shisha session brought peace in his heart, like floating in the clouds…

A knock to his head brought him back to the ground. "You won't get high with this, stupid." Dearka promptly snatched the tube from him. "You have enough! Now, it's my turn-" Several puffs followed after.

Kira watched silently as Dearka enjoyed the shisha. A grin was carved on his face because when the smoking device combined with Dearka's dark complexion, he looked like some Arabian Pasha. However, Dearka did not answer his grin; he just remained quiet, his eyes looked distant. So, Kira, without protest, zipped his mouth. The moment of silence went for a moment, though, because Kira broke it first.

"Getting revenge may be an attractive option since it is justified course of action. Of course, the fault was mine and they have the right to retaliate but _not_ to all of our guys."

"Forget about avenging the others, Kira. Will our friends come back if you kill all those guys? Will tears of blood bring back our guys?"

"No…" Kira answered in a weak tone.

"Think with your head, not your butt, my old friend. Of course, I wanted to go back to our old days where everything was damn fun. But now, we can't afford to be reckless anymore. Look at you, look at us. Do we have the strength to strike back? Hell, no."

Kira's silence prompted Dearka to continue filling the gap.

"Or maybe revenge for our comrades was not your highest priority. Correct me if I'm wrong but I feel that you want to make them pay for taking Meyrin from you…"

Finally, the tanned boy was able to make Kira came back to life.

"W-what are you saying?!"

"Alright, if I am wrong, so why do you have to be flustered like that?" Dearka continued teasing him.

"Shut the fuck up, D! You're embarrassing me!" As an attempt to hide his awkwardness, Kira tried to regain the control of the shisha but failed miserably.

"So, I was right, then. Meyrin is your real _target_."

A stern "no" came out from Kira's mouth.

"Personally, I was shocked when Luna told me that Meyrin got hooked with a guy who was on of **them**. Well, I knew that she left you – that's a stale news, but I never expected she would go with that man!" Dearka chortled while saying this to Kira.

"I've seen him. Blue-headed _bastard_. Her old flame."

"Whoa, intense hatred. Maybe with a hint of jealousy. Hey, hey, you're the one to blame, man. You let your girl slipped away."

"No need to remind me…fuck." Kira sighed. "The truth is that I don't have the desire to get her back now. I already got a new gal. Her name was Fllay."

Hearing this revelation, Dearka mouthed a long "o".

"Why the surprise? I know how to move on, too. But, Mey did approach me, dude. Pleading for help."

"Help?" Kira's golden-haired friend became serious.

"She wanted to get out, D. That time, I wanted to help her but-"

"Your new girl won't be thrilled if you stick out your neck for your ex."

"That comes second. Primarily, what she asked was too tough."

"Too bad…" Dearka hooked the hose of the shisha to its rest.

"Unable to do anything when your friend needs help; I hate that feeling, D…yet, I've promised Mey that I will do something. Too bad that I took Fllay on the day Mey asked me for help."

The other man could only look at his friend with pity.

_Now, that's SO complicated…_Dearka scratched his head.

Abruptly, Kira stood up and started to walk away from him. "Gonna take a leak."

"Okay."

* * *

_Ah, here's the __WC…_

No sound was heard from the inside, so Kira deduced that the toilet was empty. The brunette reached for the door and pushed it open.

"Eeeekkkk!!"

Startled for a moment, Kira immediately re-shut the toilet's door.

"What was that?!" He muttered lowly in his breath. His curiosity was way too big to ignore, so he reopened the door. This time much more deliberately…

"Get out, pervert!! KYAAAA!!"

* * *

Dearka was in the midst of enjoying his newly-ordered food when he saw Kira jogged towards him.

"What's up?" He munched his food.

His friend did not answer his enquiry. Kira looked like he was trying hard to swallow laughter. After much prodding, finally the brunette broke under the pressure but instead of words coming out of his mouth, laughter was.

"I entered the wrong toilet!" Kira cupped his hands to his mouth; a great effort not to laugh too much.

"My god…" Dearka lightly shook his head and made tsking sounds. "Where are your eyes, Kira?"

"There was only one toilet, man!" The chocolate head exclaimed and burst into laughter again.

The tanned man sweatdropped. "Unisex toilet…"

"Come…let's scram. I don't want to get bashed by her boyfriend…Hihihihi."

Kira's mirth continued even after he was on the road.

-

-

-

_**Meanwhile…**_

-

-

-

"It was horrible!" A woman, teary-eyed, complained to a slim but a well-built man. "That pervert peeked at me!"

"Are you sure he was that guy?" The man consoled his girl while his eyes scanned the area.

"Absolutely, **absolutely** sure!" Her sobbing began to subside.

"I'll make him pay, honey. I'll make him pay…" Vengeance burned in the man's eyes.

-

-

-

_**Clyne's Mansion…**_

-

-

-

Tut…tut…tut…

Fllay waited nervously; she was not sure whether Kira was still up or not during this hour but her gut feeling told her that he was. Her being was yearning for him…

Tut…tut…CLICK!

"_Fllay?"_

"Y-yeah, it's me."

"_Your voice is shaking. Nervous?__"_

She felt like giving him a pinch to his side for pulling her leg. Realising that he was not in front of her, she ignored his tease and hurriedly blurted out what was in her mind.

"Kira, I can't celebrate Valentine's Day with you! Boohoohoo!" The crimson-haired maid howled in despair.

"_WHAT?!" _

She could almost imagine Kira's face when he heard that news. "I'm so sorry, dear, but I just can't. Aisha-sempai sprained her ankle and…and for the whole week, I have to do all the work!"

But, Kira sounded calm. _"You're free during the weekends, right? So, there's no need to be all glum, Fllay. We still can be together-"_

"No, I want to be with you on the 14th!" Fllay staunchly defended her desire.

"_Don't, Fllay. Don't. I can wait for you, love…don't worry. Just make sure you do your work, OK? My good girl is…the one who gets the job done." _

The Allster girl whimpered in embarrassment when she heard what Kira said. "You're getting better in talking sweet, punk…"

"_Why, that's because I AM your punk. Don't worry too much about that, love. Go to sleep now. It's getting late."_

"Okay…bye, Kira. Love you…" The cherry head quickly blew a kiss to the phone. Kira gave his, too and soon after, he hung up.

However, Fllay was still adamant about wanting to be together with her man on the 14th. Her brain began to racking up plans on how to make that happen although she knew she got to work on that day.

_This is all your fault, Kira…for making me madly in love with you…_

She trudged lazily towards her own bed and then, buried herself into its embrace. Aisha had already in deep slumber; Fllay hated that. Mustering all her strength, she threw a pillow at her senior.

-

-

-

_**Siegel's princesses' room**__**…**_

-

-

-

A pink-haired girl giggled to herself as she looked at the calendar. One date really hooked her attention.

"Kira-kun…what should I do for him on that day?" Lacus smiled and then, turned her back towards Meer to ask her opinion.

Alas, her twin sister already fast asleep. The older sister sighed in disappointment. Suddenly, she remembered something that needed her attention. She opened her study desk's drawer and took out a DVD. Slowly, she exited her room and went towards the TV room.

The surrounding was eerily quiet but fear did not exist inside Lacus' mind. Even if she saw a ghost, she won't get panic or scared. Judging from her curious character, Lacus may even initiate a conversation with the ghost!

In the dim room, the teenage girl took out the DVD and put it into the DVD player. She already set up the LCD projector earlier and now, she just waited for the movie to come out on the big, white screen. Grabbing the remote control, she reduced the volume to the lowest setting as a white image began to appear in front of her.

Lacus did not have any slightest idea what the movie was about but its title, scribbled on the DVD itself, caught her interest.

-

-

-

_**Male servants' room…**_

-

-

-

Clotho got up slowly and carefully scanned his surroundings.

_Good, everyone is asleep…_

He took out his handphone and then, put on his earphone so that he got the privacy he needed.

_Happy time coming up! _Clotho smirked.

However, in the midst of his "happy time", suddenly someone tugged his earphone away and that scared him shitless. He was caught red-handed!

"Hmmm…masturbating while watching porn. How cruel of you, Clotho, for not inviting me…"

"Fuck you, Andy! Shoo, shoo!" Clotho hurriedly put back his pants, feeling a little sorry for his deflated little buddy. That _thing_ got scared, too. "Go back to sleep, butler! Forget everything what you've saw!"

"Oh, I won't…I already got turned on…" His seductive tone made Clotho deathly pale.

"You picked the strangest place to come out, Andy." The gardener stared at him, disbelievingly.

"Who wants to fuck you, Clotho?" In a blink of an eye, Andrew was not in his bed anymore. He stood near his locker, searching for something.

Clotho gave out a relieved sigh: his virginity was protected. Feeling curious, he got out of his bed and went towards Andrew.

"What are you searching for?"

"I just bought 'Valentine's Day's Story' and we can watch it together, man."

"Sounds like a campy movie to me."

"Tsk, tsk. You're wrong there, young man. We can masturbate while watching _that_, amateur…" Andrew declared, slyly. He successfully caught the gardener's attention; Clotho's eyes got so big like a saucer.

"I want that, I want _that_!" He could not contain his excitement. However, something had gone wrong.

"Eh…how weird. I swear that I put that DVD here…" Andrew scowled as he continued to rummage his belongings.

"Maybe the other three took it?" Clotho looked at the sleeping three.

"No way. They don't watch porn. Pure like angels, they are."

Clotho tried very hard to stifle a laugh. He never knew _that_ before. But, Andrew's grim face killed his desire to laugh like mad.

"It was not here…Shit." A rueful expression was on Andrew's face. "Cannot be helped, then…" The butler heaved a deep breath. "Your collection will do for tonight…"

"Okay…" Defeatism was in the air.

Clotho flipped his handphone open and played a movie. Two male hands stroked two meat shafts furiously that night…

* * *

A/N: This story still have a long way to go, so please bear with me. There are several issues that I need to clarify, namely:

1.What will happen to Kira's promise to Meyrin? Will he fulfil his promise?

2.Why Kira was spared after the incident? He was supposed to be dead...

3.How about Dearka x Milly? I did write a brief scene about those two.

4.How about this Fioleur guy? (Kira's new boss). He seemed to know Fllay but how?

5.Will Shinn & Stellar appear again? And when?

6.How about Dearka x Luna? They seemed to be _so_ close.

7.Will Kira did something stupid again as challenging Athrun's group for a race? Judging from his character, I think he will. But, how and when it happens?

8.Fllay's past. This area needs more exposure.

9.Lacus' infatuation towards Kira. How will it affect Kira's relationship with Fllay and Fllay's relationship with her boss' daughter?

Please let me know if I left out anything. As usual, happy R&R!


	20. TINSTAPL Part 1

Chapter 20: There Is No Such Thing As Painless Love (TINSTAPL) Part 1

-

-

_**Two days before Valentine…**_

-

-

"Kira…Kira…" Fllay bounced up and down, like a cartoon character on caffeine; her face shone with happiness in front of her brown-haired boyfriend. How happy Fllay was when she found that Kira was in the neighbourhood. However, Kira being there was no coincidence. He did plan to visit her but Fllay found him first when she went out to take out the rubbish.

"Yes, yes…it is me, it is me." The chocolate head laughed. "Are you a dog? Jumping up and down like that."

Fllay just giggled and kept clinging to his man like there was no tomorrow. Her heart thumped like mad. Finally, Fllay could see her beloved again. It was not like they were not seeing each other for months, it was just mere days. But, for Fllay it was a pure torture, being separated from him. When she realised she got no chance being with him on the most important day for lovers, Fllay went gloom out of the blue. Her sudden change of mood was not gone unnoticed.

"Hang in there, OK?" Kira gave his warmest smile ever. "I promise I will wait for you. Make sure you give me the best chocolate!"

"I always give my best to the person I love!" The cherry head hugged her man lovingly.

"Whoa, there!" Her rushed embrace was ticklish. "I know it, I know it, so don't strangle me!" He laughed merrily.

Finally, Fllay broke away from him but uneasiness clung to her like a pest. Kira understood this.

"Shhh…don't be glum. We can meet again. Now, go back, Fllay. Taking out trash should be a quick business, right?"

Fllay nodded weakly in understanding. "Bye-bye, Kira…" She went for a kiss but immediately stopped by the brunette.

"Don't. I have a mild flu." He shook his head lightly. "Surely, I don't want to see my beloved get sick…"

_Damn you, D…I bet that shisha hose was tainted with microbes! _Kira cursed silently.

"You are sick? Why didn't you tell me?" Fllay's expression contorted.

"Don't worry about me, love." He squeezed her tight and kissed her collarbone. "Go, Fllay. Now."

"Goodbye…" She gave a quick kiss to his forehead. It was warm. With a heavy heart, Fllay left the spot where she stood before and jogged towards Clyne's Mansion.

-

-

_**Kira's house, February 14**__**th**__**, in the morning…**_

-

-

"Cough, cough…"

_Fuck, fuck! I should've refused that shisha!! _The weakened Kira was crying over spilt milk while massaging his heaving chest.

Cagalli entered Kira's room with a tray. "I've told you many times, Kira. Look what have happened to you…" Then, she sat next to him and put a wet cloth over his forehead. "You should've gone to the clinic when I asked you to."

"Shut up…Cagalli. I don't want to hear your nags…It's too early…cough, cough."

His sister promptly gave him some water to drink. Kira drank it slowly but it did not ease his coughing.

"Just leave me, sis. I can take care of myself…" The brunette smiled weakly. "You'll be late for work…"

Cagalli looked at him worriedly. "But, make sure you take your medication on time, OK?" She bended over and gave him a quick kiss to his cheek. "I'm leaving now…"

"Please be careful…cough, cough."

* * *

Fllay groaned inwardly while cleaning the dust-covered porcelain vase in the attic. All her attempts to get out from the house have failed.

-

-

_**Hours earlier…**_

-

-

The time was 3 am. Muruta Azrael could not afford to have a nap now. He had to stay vigilant and the same goes with the other guards.

_No one will go out from this house during this hour. Not on my watch!_

THUD!

Fortunately, the action that Muruta anticipated came sooner than he expected. With a spike in his heartbeat, he made a dash for the source of the faint noise, together with his colleague.

"Stop! I know it was you!" Bright lights were pointed towards the dark figure.

The would-be escapee was found sitting on top of the concrete wall. It was too late for that person to do anything. The escapee was cornered like a mouse.

"This will be your _fourth attempt_, **Fllay**! Go back to your room! Give up already!" Muruta scolded her, _harshly_.

However, there was no hint of remorse etched on her defiant face, only a…

"BLEEEEH!!"

Complete with a middle finger.

* * *

That would be one of the countless attempts that she could think of, just to see Kira for the Valentine's Day. People might saw her as a fool, since February 14th was no day-off for our poor maid. Yet, Fllay still really wanted to be with Kira on that day.

_Today is my first ever Valentine's Day!! _By letting anger consumed her, she hardened her grip on a broom until it broke into two.

"Ah, shit…" However, her guilt was short-lived. Something caught her attention: Siegel Clyne's BMW was leaving the mansion and that was truly the best thing ever for the maid with the strawberry-red hair. Indeed, she was laughing like an evil witch…

-

-

_**Meanwhile, at the kitchen…**_

-

-

"Gosh, that's real scary…" Andrew shuddered.

Clotho was unfazed, though. "Just ignore that girl. Gone crazy, I think." He continued drinking from his canteen.

"Well, no one can laugh like that for full _20 minutes_!"

"So what?" The head gardener shrugged.

Without them knowing, a small sphere rolled across the kitchen room and stopped right under their feet. Just when Clotho noticed that thing, both men were engulfed in one violent explosion…

-

-

_**At the same time…**_

-

-

"Sorry, guys…" Fllay's lips curved into a satisfied smile. She emerged from behind the door and enjoying the sight in front of her for a moment, all behind a protective mask. "What you heard just now _wasn't _me, it was _radio_!"

Then, the young woman scurried away, leaving the chaos she made behind. Now, it was the ripe time to execute plan number two…

But, alas, two men blocked the hallway that led to the main entrance. They were Da Costa and Shani.

"T-that's impossible!! I didn't expect such a quick reaction time!" Sputtered in panic, the maid was.

"Halt there, Fllay!" The green-haired gardener shouted at her. Fllay noticed that he was holding a walkie-talkie.

_Hoh…they were well prepared against my plans…_She smirked, admiring at their effective communications method.

"Stop all these nonsense! You already knew that Clyne-sama prohibited you from going out but why you still wanted to defy his order?!" Shani's face was serious.

On the other hand, Da Costa chose diplomacy. "Please, Fllay, stop this act. I don't want to hurt you-" However, something cut Da Costa off. His hands and legs felt as if they were being tied but Fllay was quite a distance from the gentle driver. That confused him and Shani. "What the hell is this?!" Da Costa struggled to break free but the invisible restrain was far stronger.

"Forgive me, Martin. But, I have to use this…BEHOLD, MY HARP STRING TECHNIQUE!" Fllay pulled the string as strongly as she can and slammed Da Costa into the wall, hard. The chauffeur was like a string puppet being tossed carelessly and what the cherry head did knocked him out.

Fllay's ruthlessness greatly angered Shani, causing him to go berserk.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!" He roared and lunged at her, trying to capture the girl. But, Fllay kept her cool. She just waited until Shani was at the right distance.

"Your friendship with Martin is admirable, Shani. However, that is so naïve of you…you think you can capture me with that?" She side-stepped to right, thus poor Shani caught only thin air, right where she stood seconds ago. The thin man realized his error and tried to swing his body around but Fllay was far more agile than him.

"Why you, bitch-"

"Nighty-nite, dear Shani…" A sickening thud reverberated throughout the empty hallway. Shani coughed blood-mixed saliva while clutching his freshly-hit stomach. Then, Fllay chopped the back of his neck with her bare hand, to finish the job. Finally, his legs gave way and soon, he landed head first on the cold, hard floor.

-

-

_**Outside of the mansion…**_

-

-

"Guess what? We're the final line of defence. That sucks…" Orga scowled with a hand scratched his itchy back.

"Shut that mouth of yours, Orga. Concentrate on what is ahead!" Li, one of the security guards, reprimanded the now-yawning gardener. Then, he sighed. "I really hope Muruta-san joins us now. Too bad he worked on the night shift-"

Without warning, the main door burst open. Out of it was the panting Fllay.

"There she is! Give no quarter, men! " Li screamed at the top of his lungs. Simultaneously, Orga and three more security guards burst out from the shrub and charged towards their target.

_We're not __soldiers to begin with…_Orga sweatdropped, after hearing Li's passionate roar.

"Shit…I should have gone through the back door if they were all here." Fllay cursed under her breath. "Maybe, I still have time-"

"Where are you going, _Fllay_…?' Clotho emerged from her behind, snarling like Cerberus. He was white all-over, courtesy of Fllay's flour grenade.

Shortly after that, Andrew, also white from top to bottom, joined Clotho and stood beside him. Now, the main door was blocked. "That was clever of you, girl. But, your luck _runs out_, honey. Now, you surrender quietly like a good girl, 'kay?"

Indeed, Fllay was running out of options. Two guys were behind her, blocking her way to the back door, and the additional four menacing-looking men were blocking her way straight to freedom. Fllay's brain worked feverishly to come up for a plan but unfortunately, nothing good came out. Finally, her brain registered on thing: her struggle was hopeless. With that, she fell to her knees.

"Oi, she got a shock. Maybe we're being too hard to her." Orga towered over her.

"Lemme hit her!" An angry voice shouted from the main door. All the guys removed their attention on Fllay and concentrated towards the gruff voice. It was Shani, who trudged towards the little ring of men. Da Costa followed not far behind, also limping as he walked.

"Relax, Shani. Look at her." Andrew pointed at Fllay, who was still at stupor.

"I don't care! ALL I WANT IS TO STRANGLE THAT BRAT!!"

Shani's scream of rage broke Fllay's daze. Soon, survival instinct kicked in. She produced a grenade, on the verge of priming it.

"Shit! She got a grenade!" Anton, also one of the day-shift guards, screamed in panic. "Run away, guys!"

"You won't make it in time, dear Anton…" Fllay shot a glare at him and then carved out a maniacal smile to the guys around her. "This thing hurts _a lot_, you know. Now, let me go and you don't have to taste the pain."

"She's right, men." Andrew gulped in fear. "It was…" He paused for a dramatic effect. "…unpleasant."

Martin squirmed uneasily while Orga already cowered behind Li's back. "Andrew, please listen to her demands. I don't wanna die here!" His voice quivered with intense terror.

Suddenly, Orga noticed something weird with Clotho. "Are you recording this, Boss?"

"Yep. This will be her finest hour. Rare things should be captured on the spot, my good subordinate…" Clotho stated with a deadpan tone. His handphone was trained on the lioness, recording everything in it.

"Yeah, _now_ is **my finest hour**. Well said, Clotho…" Fllay growled at the cameraman. "Listen here, all of you!" Her grip on the grenade intensified. "I shall defend my right to celebrate Valentine's Day, whatever the cost may be, I shall fight in the kitchen, I shall fight in the living room, I shall fight in the gardens and in the pavements outside the mansion, I shall fight in the toilet; I shall never surrender!"

"Whoa, what a rousing speech you got there, girl." Clotho chuckled and then pointed the handphone's camera to himself. "That's all for now. Thanks for watching." As the end, he flipped it close. Subsequently, in a collected manner, he addressed the men and the woman in front of him.

"Actually, I've made a video call just now. Not a vid recording."

"To who?" Martin popped a question for him.

"Well, he will be here soon-" Clotho was right. Multiple honks were heard from beyond the main gate. "See, what have I told you all?" A complacent smile was upon his lips.

"That was fast…" Orga commented with amazement.

It was Siegel's Beemer. Soon, the owner of the mansion entered the eye of the storm.

"Thanks for the vid call, Clotho." He nodded at the head of the gardeners. The hailed man nodded back. After the exchange with Clotho, Siegel shifted his attention towards the woman who started it all. "Now, please explain yourself, **Miss Fllay**."

"I…I…" She could not find the words. Fear overcame her.

"**Fllay!**" The head of the house boomed. "I never taught you to be disobedient like this!" Even the other guys flinched when hearing Siegel's harsh scolding. "Why do you have to be selfish? You are shirking from your responsibility just because of this stupid Valentine's Day-"

"It is not stupid! It is my first, so what?!" Fllay shouted back. Horrified by her defiance towards her own boss, the other men were.

"Yeah, _so what_." Siegel bored his eyes into hers. "Still, you're running away you're your work…" He caught his breath. "…WHILE YOUR SENIOR IS STILL SICK!!"

That did it. Siegel's final attack ceased Fllay's resistance, sending her sobbing and wailing. Up to this point, the other servants felt that their master was being too harsh upon Fllay.

"Sir, I think this is enough…" Andrew said it as gently as possible. He did not want Siegel's wrath to be directed towards him, not now.

Well, Andrew received what he wanted to avoid, anyway. "Shut up! All of you, get back to your posts!"

Fearing for their lives, the guys scampered to their own respective posts, leaving the sobbing Fllay and the fuming head of the mansion alone.

However, Siegel's anger was not there to stay. But, Fllay continued crying. With her condition like that, Siegel could not help but to feel remorse. Trying to assuage her sorrow, he patted her head.

"Stop crying, girl." He sighed. "But, what you did was wrong. You've abandoned your work here. You're important to this house, Fllay…look, who's going to cook meals, wash clothes, and clean the house? I can't expect other guys to do those. Of course, it's you and Aisha, right? But, Aisha is still sick right now, so you have to do your part, Fllay…" Siegel tried to make his words as soothing as possible but his words could not dispel the sorrow inside the young maid's heart.

"I know that, sir…but…I want to be with Kira…" Fllay pleaded with teary eyes.

Siegel heaved another deep breath. "You're hard-headed as always, Fllay. Fine…"

The maid beamed with joy, expecting something from her boss. She knew it; Clyne-sama would be lenient with her again. Finally, she could be with Kira!

"You're punished and I order you to…"

Her high hopes were dashed, blown to bits, reduced to smithereens.

"…go out and search for Lacus, bring her back home. That girl, doesn't she know that it's late now? Well, you can meet your man...BUT.FOR.A.WHILE." Siegel stressed his words as firm as possible.

"YEAH!!" Fllay screamed with joy. But in her fit of exultation, she forgot that the flour grenade was still in her hands. So, accidentally, she pulled the safety pin.

"There goes my favourite suit..." Siegel gave out a defeated sigh.

-

-

_**Moments later…**_

-

-

"Where is that girl?" Fllay scowled as she walked down the road. Honestly, she was worried, too. The time was already six in the evening and the maid knew that Lacus-sama was not the type who loitered around after school.

Fllay already searched the school compound and as expected, that pink-haired teenager was not there. Feeling that her search for that girl was a futile one, Fllay decided to move on to her personal agenda. She dialled Kira's number and waited for reply.

"_Don't go out for too long, Fllay. Once you have found Lacus, bring her home ASAP."_

-

-

_**Back at Clyne's Mansion**__**, in the maids' room…**_

-

-

Siegel, his veins was popping out of his forehead, thoroughly regretted his decision of letting Fllay out.

_That girl…I should have killed her!_

On the bed, there was tired-looking Aisha, who was bound and gagged…

* * *

"Sorry, Clyne-sama…but I have to take this chance to be with Kira. I promise it won't take long." Fllay muttered to herself. "Maybe she already at home by now."

That's weird, she thought. Kira did not answer her call. His handphone was still on, though.

"Very suspicious…" The cherry head's eyes squinted into mere slits. Therefore, she proceeded to march towards her lover's home.

-

-

**_Kira's house, several minutes later…_**

-

-

Soon as she arrived, Fllay felt uneasy. Her feminine instinct told her that something was not right. The front door was not locked and Kira's shoes were there. He was in, then, Fllay thought. However, unfamiliar pair of shoes also present there. To her shock, she knew who the owner of the shoes was.

_Oh my god...that girl…! _Her heart raced. _No, it can't be!_

Fllay dashed straight towards Kira's room and opened the door forcefully. There, she stumbled upon a sight which she wished she never had to see...

* * *

A/N: We meet again, dear readers! Just came back from holiday and boy, it was good for me. Nothing can beat a good rest! Hope you enjoy this modest new chappie. (bows) As always, stay tune for my next update!


	21. TINSTAPL Part 2

Chapter 21: There Is No Such Thing As Painless Love (TINSTAPL) Part 2

-

-

Fllay dashed straight towards Kira's room and opened the door forcefully. There, she stumbled upon a sight which she wished she never had to see.

Dreamy-looking Kira was lying on his bed while half-naked Lacus held the brunette's erected flesh weenie in her hand, licking and sucking it.

"F-Fllay onee-chan!" Lacus was startled to see her maid suddenly barging inside that room and stopped whatever business that she did. Her voice stammered with fear, tinged with embarrassment. "Don't tell Daddy about this!"

Rage slowly built inside Fllay's broken heart…

-

-

_**What happened earlier…**_

-

-

Kira shifted uneasily in his bed. The cough was getting worse. With much reluctance, he reached for the medicine and gulped it down. Feeling a bit relieved, he tried to sleep.

"Kira-kun!"

Hearing that particular bubbly female voice made him quickly sat on his bed. His heartbeat raced, not because of excitement but of dread.

"That kid…damn, how could I forget to lock the door?"

As soon as he grumbled, Lacus appeared in front of him, giggling as she peered over his room's door.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kira-kun…" She glided towards him and then produced a box of chocolates to the obviously annoyed Kira.

"Hmmm…" Kira replied nonchalantly, showing no interest. However, his coughing ruined his grumpy look.

"Are you sick?" Lacus looked at him worriedly. She extended a hand towards him but promptly brushed away by the brunette.

"Of course I am. Can't you see?" He grumbled. Kira grudgingly admitted that Lacus was the last person he expected to see. Over and over again, he mentally scolded himself for being a forgetful person. Just because of forgetting to lock the door put him in such an unpleasant situation.

_What the…?_ His vision grew blurry; his head felt heavy as lead. Kira never expected the medicine he just took reared its effect so soon.

"Kira-kun…" Lacus cooed. "You know, I watched this DVD and I've learnt so much from it…" She bit her lower lips while giving a naughty smirk; her eagerness was hardly concealed.

"W-what DVD??" Even his voice became slurred. But, Lacus ignored his question.

"And I'm going to practice it with you…" The teenager slowly moved her hand to his crotch, lowered his pants, slowly brought out his flaccid little dragon and rubbed it.

"Hey…!" However, Kira could not offer any serious resistance. The feeling of drowsiness was too great.

In the end, the brunette could only watch his little buddy being orally 'raped' by a 15 years old girl…

* * *

It only took a moment for Lacus to discover what was happening between Kira and Fllay. All it took was an extra hard slap to her face and a crushed chocolate box inside Fllay's grip.

"YOU INSOLENT BITCH!!" The redhead's eyes were bloodshot.

Lacus did not dare to resist her, even though Fllay was just her servant. Wiping the blood from her mouth, the pink-haired girl rushed out from the hostile territory and ran towards the safe haven; her home.

Kira was not spared from the fury of his woman, too. The crumpled box was thrown towards his face and before he could defend himself, Fllay already came down crashing on top of his chest, pinning him down to his bed.

"Wait, Fllay! I can explain!" The brunette shouted, only to be strangled by the young woman in her berserk mode.

"I WENT THROUGH A LOT OF SHIT JUST TO SEE YOU! YOU BASTARD, IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT ME?!"

Then, Fllay repeatedly pummeled Kira with her fists until his body all red and raw. Having enough of her beatings, Kira screamed with anger as he forcefully grasped her hands and restrained the struggling redhead. Irked by her struggles and shrieks, Kira raised his hand, ready to hit her…

"So, now you want to hit me…why did you stop?" Fllay angrily stared at him. "You cheater! You've no right to lay a finger on me!"

Kira closed his eyes for a moment, trying to cool down his temper. What happened between Lacus and him was not premeditated; he was just the victim of the unexpected situation.

But, was his innocence guaranteed? He was not even resisting Lacus' advances!

"Sorry…" That was the only word that Kira could utter as he pulled Fllay into his embrace. He could have said a stern "No" to Lacus.

"You're a disappointment, Kira…" Fllay sobbed, her anger was still there. "I really love you…why?" She roughly pushed him away and promptly distancing herself from him.

"Tell me honestly…" Fllay gave him a forlorn look. "You loved Lacus too, right?"

"No."

"Don't lie. She liked you too, I knew that. In my absence, that girl must be doing that to you, all these times…" A tearful smile was what she gave to him at this moment.

"Fuck…" Kira scratched his head in frustration. "Listen here, Fllay…I didn't have feelings for Lacus! Look, I am yours!" He edged closer to Fllay but Fllay moved even farther from him. "I never touched her and today's incident happened because there was something wrong with her! I never thought that girl would be so daring like that!"

"Liar!" Fllay shrieked, with her hands on her ears.

Seeing her like that, Kira could not help himself but to feel agitated. He forcefully parted her hands from her ears and tried to make Fllay to hear his side of the story. Yet, all his attempts were unable to sway Fllay's opinion towards him.

All he got was a bite to his hand.

"Why won't you listen?!" Kira roared at his lover. He pushed her down, roughly. His bed squeaked, as if it was complaining about the rough treatment that Kira gave to Fllay.

"I never gave Lacus my consent on what she did to me! She just shoved it to my throat!" The enraged man practically yelled at Fllay's ears. "She took advantage of me when I was drowsy due to that fucking medicine that I took! GOT IT?!"

However, the storm did not end with Kira's revelation. The rage inside him was yet to subside.

Fllay never saw her love being so angry like that. She tried to put down the raging tempest by wrapping her arms around his neck, only to be roughly shoved away by Kira.

"I'm sorry, too…" She apologised in a meek voice.

"Oh, shut up, bitch!" Kira silenced her by putting a hand on her mouth.

_Oh my god…help me! _Fllay went still with terror, unsure of what Kira would do next to her.

With his fierce face still on, Kira ripped her maid uniform, sending her buttons flying. Fllay protested in a muffled voice, dismayed that her working dress was ruined.

"Just be quiet, damn it!" He removed his hand from Fllay's mouth and proceeded to ruin another clothing item on her body: her bra. That also earned her utmost disapproval as Kira threw away the torn bra.

"You're not Kira that I knew!" She kicked and pushed, trying to break free from the beastly Kira but his grip was too powerful for her.

"Don't think about escaping…" Kira smirked. Then, he pinched both her nipples, a little too rough than what Fllay used to experience before.

"No! Stop! You're hurting me!" However, her pleas fell into deaf ears. Kira went on to bite her nipples, her breasts and her shoulder. All of them were done with much force.

"Kira! Ergh, you're too rough!" Fllay even reached for the small pot on the table, beside the bed and hit it to his head, hopefully that would make him stop. On the contrary, it only served to make him more brutal than before. Now, she had no other options; her struggles against Kira's strong hold had sapped all her strength. At this point, she chose to cease her resistance.

Fllay could feel his hardened cock, which was already brushing against her Venus mound. Fearfully, she waited for his little soldier to penetrate her dry pussy. How on earth she could be excited after being treated roughly like this?

She waited and waited, for the inevitable pain to come. Truthfully, Fllay was already accustomed to the pain…she already experienced it with a beast, a more beastly monster than Kira himself at this moment. But, as tears flowed down her cheeks, Fllay did not expect Kira to rape her. Of all people, him!

Then, Kira nibbled her ear while giving another hard pinch to her nipples. She yelped in pain. By now, Fllay's body felt so battered and bruised. The young maid just hoped that Kira just finish it quickly; she could not go through this ordeal anymore.

However, Fllay felt a warm liquid wetting the area of her ear; the point where Kira nibbled her earlier. She realised Kira had stopped.

Slowly, Kira arose. Fllay searched for his face, which was hidden by his ruffled bangs. What she found was a tearful Kira, agonised Kira, regretful Kira…

"I…I didn't mean to treat you like this…S-sorry, I've hurting you, baby…" The chocolate head moved away from her, assumed a fetal position and cried like a baby.

Fllay also shared his sadness. How she wished if she had listened to Kira earlier, all of this would not have to happen. Moving her aching body towards him, Fllay lovingly embraced Kira from behind. Then, she raised her head and kissed his cheeks, wetting it with her own tears, as well with his own.

"I'm sorry that our first Valentine's had been ruined like this…" Kira looked at her face. "I should have had resisted Lacus' advances…"

Fllay smiled ruefully. "I already forgive you, love…what had happened, let it happened…"

Still in her tears, she lay on top of his chest. "I'm so unlucky in love, right Kira?"

"Don't…don't say things like that…" Kira wrapped his arms around her. "I still love you…we can't let such things destroy our bond…"

Fllay nodded weakly. The two of them stayed that way for a while, enjoying each other's warmth.

Silence dragged on as minutes ticked by at snail's pace. Then, Fllay decided she had enough of moping around. As long as they were together, she believed that everything would be alright.

Slowly, she inched towards his face. The two stared at each other for a second, in silence, and then both of them found the other side's lips was so irresistible, so they started smooching like there was no tomorrow, lustfully savouring each other.

At that time, Kira gently placed Fllay on his bed and kissed her some more. Then, he removed her torn clothes and set it aside. Careful not to hurt her more, he tenderly licked her breasts, her nipples, everything…but his tongue flicked so fast that it gave Fllay immense pleasure.

"Mmn! Aah!" The redhead shuddered and trembled as Kira rubbed her wet pussy, creating a sloshing, wet sound. He did not forget her swollen clit, playing with it rather roughly but Fllay prefer it rough at this part of her body. In no time, Kira's bed was wet with her honey.

"Girl…on your fours…" Kira instructed with a ragged breath. Fllay obediently complied, doggy style was her favourite. So, she anxiously anticipating his delicious cock but instead, she got his naughty tongue.

"Emm…aah!" Fllay squealed and squirmed, as a jolt of extreme pleasure ran through her whole body.

"Well? Does it feel good?" Kira whispered to her. She nodded vigorously. "Tell me what you want, Fllay…"

Fllay answered with a moan. Kira repeated his question, "Tell me, what it is you want…"

"Th…this…." The young woman reached for his hardened member. "THIS IS WHAT I WANT!" Fllay yelled with all her might, unable to hold anymore. "DOWN THERE! I WANT IT DOWN THERE!" She stretched her pussy lips, baring everything to her man.

Kira, too, had enough with foreplay. Without any delays, he carefully slid his dick inside her and began to move slowly at first. Fllay gave out a little squeal at the sensation and her squeals changed into lustful moan as Kira moved faster and deeper. Squishing and sticky sounds reverberated through the room, complimented with the two's huffing and sighing.

The guy humped and humped and when the right moment came, he cummed. He spurted his semen inside her honey pot, lots of it. Now, feeling completely exhausted, Kira collapsed on the top of Fllay's back while his member was still inside her, continually squirting sticky, whitish liquid.

"Eh…hehehe…" Fllay giggled weakly. "You cummed so much…I guess this means…that I really turned you on so much, right Kira?"

"Yeah…no other girl can surpass you in that area…my love…" Kira snuggled on her back, his face visibly tired.

"Sorry, the chocolate is ruined, though..." Fllay closed her eyes, there was sadness in her faint voice.

"I don't mind..." Kira smiled and gave a kiss to her neck. "What you give to me is enough..."

-

-

_**The next morning…**_

-

-

"Sorry for troubling you, Cagalli-san…" Fllay bowed deeply towards Kira's sister, who was laughing sheepishly while pinching Kira's sides.

"I don't mind, you know…hahaha! I already considered you as a family!"

"F-family?!" Cagalli's comments flushed Fllay to no end.

Kira rolled his eyes in annoyance while watching the two girls chattered and tittered. He had to end this. "Look, Fllay, you have to go back now. I'm sure your boss will be worried…"

Cagalli shot a glare at him. "How tactless, Kira." Then, she redirected her attention towards Fllay and drew out a heavy breath. "He's right, though."

The redhead maid could only nod with her face still bright red.

"Why don't you send her back, then?" Cagalli shot another glare at Kira.

"I have to go to work now, stupid!"

Fllay immediately waved her hands, a big sweatdrop on her head. "No, I will walk on my own. I don't want to give troubles to Kira…"

"Awww…so nice, being lovey-dovey…" Cagalli put her hands on her cheeks. But, she quickly regained her composure. "Now, be careful on your way home, Fllay-san." The blonde offered her warmest smile.

"I will, thank you." Fllay bowed once more to Cagalli and lovingly looked at Kira's face before leaving the compound. After making sure that Fllay was far enough from them, Cagalli pounced on Kira.

"You bastard! What have you done to poor Fllay? With her torn clothes on the floor, what are you thinking?"

"It was a long story, sis…" Kira flushed. "Or should I say a Valentine's Day celebration that went a bit too far..." He grinned from ear to ear.

"But, you don't have to rip her clothes like that! Geez…" Cagalli went inside the house, shook her head in disbelief.

_Sis…some things you don't need to know…_A thin smile on Kira's lips before he brought himself to enter the house.

-

-

_**Meanwhile…**_

-

-

"Do be careful, Shinn! Stellar don't want these cookies be ruined!" Stellar yelled at his boyfriend, reminding him not to speed in such a narrow alley.

Shinn reluctantly complied with his girlfriend and slowed down his bike. Why she had to send those Valentine's cookies to Kira anyway, he muttered under his breath.

"Why, because Kira was Stellar and Shinn's friend!" Stellar yelled at his ear and then, grinned.

"Don't yell like that, you idiot! I've already slowed down, so no need to yell to speak with me!" Shinn yelled back, while at the same time wondered at how in hell Stellar could hear what he breathed with his full-face helmet on.

But, Stellar did not answer him back. Something, or rather someone had attracted her attention.

_Oh my…she can't be her! But, she looks like __**her**__!_

"Shinn! Go that way!" She repeatedly knocked on his helmet. "Now!"

"Hell no!" This time, Stellar's order was toothless. "We're going to Kira's house and going there is our main business! Now, be quiet!"

Stellar, flushed in anger and frustration, pummelled Shinn's helmet up until they arrived in front of Kira's house.

* * *

A/N: 247angel, this chapter is for you. (smiles) I hope you enjoy it! Well, hope all readers will enjoy it too, although Kira treated Fllay a bit too rough here. And Irui, if you are there, Stellar will return in the next chappies! (grin) Please R&R and I will see you all soon!


	22. Reopening of the Old Wound

Chapter 22: Reopening of the Old Wound

-

-

_**One fine morning…**_

-

-

Regrets…she had not.

Working in that house for a week after that incident was a pure torture for that girl.

Last night, the final decision was made, after several nights of contemplation, and now all she had to do was to finish it without stirring up trouble.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

"Sir?"

A gentle voice politely interrupted the work of the owner of the mansion. Slowly, Siegel raised his head to meet that female voice. He smiled, it was Fllay.

To his surprise, gone was her maid uniform, which she supposed to wear at this time. Instead, she was clad in plain clothes.

"Yes, Fllay?" The man assumed a relaxed composure, ready to hear anything from that girl.

"Clyne-sama, I would like you to read this…" Fllay, retaining her calm tone, handed him a thin, brown-coloured envelope.

-

-

_**Lat**__**er that night…**_

-

-

"Wait a minute, how come you have this thing?" The butler questioned the frightened pink-haired girl, as he waived the DVD around her face.

"I-I entered this room and found it inside Andrew-san's locker…" Shivering, her voice was barely audible.

"Lacus-sama, that's an invasion of privacy." Clotho stood up; brought his face near to that girl, further scaring her.

"And you know you're not supposed to watch this, Missy…" Andrew reprimanded the mistress of the house.

"I know…" Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Because of it, Fllay onee-chan hates me…everyday, since last week, she was avoiding me. Even today I didn't see her. I want to apologise to her again…"

"Well, I think you're too late for anything, Miss…" Orga let out a sigh of pity.

"Why?" Lacus pleaded for an answer.

"Fllay already left this house in the morning. She already resigned."

* * *

"Fix me a dinner, bro." Cagalli placed her shoes on the rack and trudged towards her room. "I'm hungry."

Kira, on the other hand, felt annoyed for being interrupted when he was so engaged in reading today's paper.

"Don't be a lazy bum in my house, girl. If you want food, cook it yourself." He resumed his reading as if Cagalli was not there.

The girl's face turned sour when hearing this. She stood in front of the sitting Kira and put her hands on her hips.

"Look," She began. "Don't make me use my last resort."

"Oh, really?" Her brother raised an eyebrow but did not raise his head to see Cagalli. His eyes were still fixed to the paper. "Tell me what your last resort is."

"OH MY BROTHER!" Suddenly, the blonde gal prostrated in front of the brown-haired youth. "PLEASE FIX ME A DINNER!" Then, she raised her head and showed to Kira the cutest face that she could present. "Pretty, pretty please?"

"No."

Before Cagalli could even throw a fit of tantrum, someone was knocking at the door. Kira hurriedly rose from his seat, leaving the pouting Cagalli behind.

"I hate you." She stuck her tongue out.

"You're too old to be pampered, Cagalli. Be a good girl, a guest is coming." Kira went straight to the front door. When he opened it, he was quite surprised to see the house tonight's guest.

"Fllay?"

"Hi, Kira." She quickly hugged him and did not forget to give her man a smooch.

The passionate moment lasted for a few minutes, though, as Kira noticed two luggage behind the crimson-haired woman.

"What happened?"

"I quit my job, dear." Fllay smiled.

"Say again?" Kira could not believe his ears.

"I want to stay with you…" She gave him quick kiss to his right cheek and quickly ran into the house.

"What the…hey!" Kira wanted to grab her arm but cancelled the intention. Then, he looked at her luggage.

"Guess I'm just a mule, then…" He let out a long sigh.

While Kira was unsure how to react about Fllay's sudden wish to stay with him, Cagalli, on the other hand, was so thrilled when Fllay revealed her intention to the blonde.

"Cool!" Cagalli held both Fllay's hands and swung it happily. "It's been a long time since another girl lives in this house!"

"Oh, there's someone earlier than me?" The redhead asked.

"Yes, she's my former co-worker. Her name is…"

"Stop all that useless chatter, two of you!" Kira's loud voice startled the two girls. "Help me!" Then, he pointed at Fllay's luggage. "They are damn heavy!"

Seeing his face so red from much exertion prompted the gals to giggle. Fllay immediately went to her boyfriend's side.

"Poor thing…" She held his arm and rubbed it.

"Come to think of it, which room do you want to stay, Fllay?" Cagalli tilted her head a bit.

"Why, I want to stay with Kira!" The cherry head beamed up.

"But…" Kira protested.

"Nnnn…" Fllay pouted at his tactless response. She stared hard at his eyes…

"Okay, you win!" The brunette gave up with another long sigh. Honestly, he could not win against Fllay's powerful persuasion.

"Yeah!" Kira's cherry awarded him another kiss at that moment.

_Man, t__he bird called Freedom flies away and leaves me…_The brunette sweatdropped.

"Excuse me…" Cagalli interjected. "I know it's normal to be lovey-dovey for a couple but please be considerate towards my condition."

"Oh, I forgot that you're single! Sorry…" Fllay grinned bashfully.

"No, not that!" The blonde quickly went red on the face.

GRUMBLE…

"She's hungry for food, girl. Not for man's love." Kira explained nonchalantly to his lover. Fllay was enlightened.

-

-

_**One week later…**_

-

-

"Morning, Kira." The Allster girl chirped happily as she prepared the breakfast.

"Morning…" Kira yawned and rubbed both his eyes. "Cagalli's already gone then…"

"Yep. That's a pity since she missed my breakfast."

He raised an eyebrow. "As if she cannot eat your cooking after this…" Then, a smile flickered on his lips. "Well, thanks to you, Fllay, I am liberated from kitchen duty. Now is my eighth day of freedom!"

"I'm deeply honoured, Mr. Yamato…" Fllay blew him a flying kiss and then quickly resumed her work. "Just sit there and wait until I finish, 'kay dear?"

Only for a few days, the redhead lass was getting quite comfortable with her "housewife" role even though it was not official yet. Honestly, the experience was not bad, she thought.

Meanwhile, with nothing interesting to do, the bleary-eyed youth with sandpaper hair sighed lazily as he seated and waited for the food to be ready. Then, he settled his gaze on the redhead's back, watching her every move.

Fllay knew all along that she was being watched but pretend to remain oblivious about it. She loved the way Kira ogled at her, even without having to expose her skin.

"EEEKKK!!" Suddenly, the cherry head let out a startled shriek.

Then, heat rose up her face. It was a no-wonder, since the naughty hands of Kira caressed her nicely-shaped bum…

"Hands off, young man…" She exhibited a tone of threat in her voice. "Don't interrupt me when I'm busy…"

Hearing that, Kira's hands quickly jolted from her buttocks and scrammed towards his seat. After being together with her for quite some time, the brunette knew when she was receptive towards his move or not. Obviously, that moment was not today.

"You're no fun…" Kira mumbled under his breath.

CLANG!

"N-nothing, dear! Now, just continue on your cooking and forget about me!" He began to sweat as he mouthed sweet words, as sweet as he could…

After a few moments later, the breakfast was ready. The menu was fried rice.

"Hey, why the long face?" The redhead lass quizzed cheerfully as she put down the cutleries and pour the warm tea into two cheap china cups.

"It was you…" Kira mumbled again but he did not have the guts to look straight into her eyes.

Fllay just giggled when her man acted like that. It was fun, she thought, to torture him like this in the mornings.

_I will do it again and again…_She laughed devilishly inside her head.

Then, without further ado, both of them began to dig on their breakfast.

-

-

_**Hours later, Kira's workplace…**_

-

-

"Our patience is not limitless, you old bastard!" A huge man, roared at the top of his lungs, slammed Fioleur to the wall.

"Pay your protection money, man." Another guy, snickered as he puffed a ball of smoke towards Fioleur's face. His short stature seemed not fit to the task of intimidating the bike shop owner. "We can kill you right now but well, our boss gave us a clear reminder not to cause you bodily harm."

"P-please, gimme one more chance. I'll definitely pay you this time!" Fioleur shivered with terror.

Then, someone had just arrived at the scene with a motorcycle. It was Kira.

"Boss! What the fuck?!" He screamed as he quickly put down his helmet. Instinctively, he rushed to help his employer.

"Thank god, Kira! Help me!" Fioleur struggled to break free but went silent after that; his face was dangerously close to a knife.

Watching his boss' life being threatened, Kira wisely not to come any closer. "Who are you guys?" The chocolate head remained rooted to his place, fearing that any wrong move would cost him his boss' life.

After all, the death of Fioleur would render Kira jobless. Oh, how he hated job-hunting at these times. With Fllay in the house…

"Oi, what are you dreaming about?" The short guy shouted at Kira, breaking him from his reverie.

"W-what?" The youth stammered. "Oh, where was I? Yes, who are you guys?!" Trying to hide his embarrassment, Kira assumed a martial art stance.

"For Pete's sake, do we have to repeat twice?!" The other burly man spat disgustedly. "We're from Athrun's Gang and your boss had failed to pay his protection money in time!"

Kira looked at his boss in disbelief. "Old man, since when you need protection from that stupid gang?"

"Well, recently…" Fioleur answered sheepishly. Then, without warning, the huge fellow released his grip on Fioleur, causing him to fall hard on his bum.

Kira rolled his eyes and heaved a heavy breath when watching such uncivilised way of handling his boss. Nevertheless, his brain kept on working. Paying money to those bastards won't be a wise choice, he thought. But, refusing to pay would invite death and that kind of scenario was the one Kira wanted to avoid.

In a split second, Kira stretched his brain harder, thinking numerous possible ways to get out of this tight spot. Finally, he found it…

"Alright, tell that girly-boy Athrun that I'm gonna challenge Yzak once again! This time it will be a RX-Z challenge! One on one, fair and square! If I win, don't show your sorry ass here anymore!" Kira pointed a finger towards the two, smiling triumphantly.

However, the pair looked at each other, feeling confused.

"This guy knew Yzak?" The big one questioned his partner.

"Beats me. Anyway, he's nobody." The apparent leader of the duo shook his head. "Plus, he called Athrun-sama girly…how audacious for such a scrawny guy."

Kira could not believe that he was being humiliated in a broad daylight. Clenching his fist tight, he let out a bloodcurdling roar and charged towards the duo…

* * *

"This is the real deal, man. Wait 'til he comes and see it for yourself." A certain raven-haired boy patted Kira's shoulder. "And stop touching your black eye! You're irritating me!" Then, the pats turned into a light slap.

"Alright, alright." The brunette grumpily answered the much younger boy. "God, I hope he's real, Shinn." Kira crossed his arms, waiting patiently for the promised one.

Luckily for the two of them, the much-awaited person arrived moments later. Fully clad in black biker jacket and blue denim, the man removed his full-face helmet and nodded to both of them.

"Cool bike you got there, dude. Call me Kira." Kira extended his hand for a shake. The other gladly returned his favour and also complimented it with a prideful smile.

"Triumph Daytona 675. By the way, the name is Pegedel. Which one of you wants to buy the bike?"

"It's me." Kira pointed at himself.

"Okay…" Pegedel tilted his head a bit to the left, scrutinising the would-be buyer of his old bike. Feeling satisfied, he led both guys to the garage.

"There you go. Yamaha RX-Z." The curly hair guy pointed at the lone bike, parking beside an old Trabant 601.

Kira cringed with disgust at such sight but he managed to tone it down, so Pegedel won't noticed him. A fuckingly awesome piece of machinery was put side by side with an old Cold War era relic! An obscene blasphemy, he bitterly commented at the back of his mind.

"As you see, I've just repainted it. Pure white with some streak of blue and black. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah…"

On Kira's lips, there was a smug…

With this new machine, he mused, he could kill two birds with one stone.

He would win…or rather, he _must _win.

-

-

_**Several days later…**_

-

-

BAM! BAM!

The peace in Kira's house was rudely stirred. Feeling annoyed, Kira trudged towards the door and the first thing he wanted to do then was to scream at the people who disturbed his sleep.

But, his irritation quickly dissipated as he opened the door…

"Yo. Good morning." A bob-haired man greeted him with a smile. Together with him was none other than the leader himself.

Athrun.

_Yuck, girly boy and old man…_Kira sighed lazily.

Thinking that the two came alone, the chocolate head was dead wrong. Behind Athrun and Yzak was a mob of no-nonsense-looking men, ready for bone-breaking action or maybe some house demolition work, if the two wished for it.

Kira took a long gulp. "Well, come in then…" He politely invited the duo in but glared at the rest of Athrun's Gang.

As the trio made themselves comfortable in the house, Kira, without any restraint anymore, snarled at Athrun.

"You coward bastard! You don't have to bring your men here! If you want to fight, let's settle things up with our bare hands!"

Yzak slapped Kira's head. "Mind your manners, punk. Scrawny druggie like you won't able to scratch me." The brunette naturally wanted to protest but was cut short again by the silver head. "Make us some drinks, you ass. Is this how you treat guests?"

Kira went off to the kitchen, cursing silently along the way. A few minutes later, Kira just offered them plain tea. But, it was decent enough for such a tense atmosphere.

"You want to challenge us again, eh Kira?" Athrun sipped his tea calmly. Yzak did the same and sneered.

"Why, was it wrong? If I win, fuck off from my workplace!" Kira answered in contempt.

"If I win?" Yzak inquired with a sly tone.

"Ahh…" The brunette scolded himself mentally for lacking hindsight when he proposed the challenge.

"No need for that, Yzak." Athrun put down his china and crossed his legs. "Let see whether Kira survives this time."

Kira flinched at the emotionless statement. If Athrun wanted me dead so much, why he didn't do it earlier, Kira wondered.

-

-

_**Meanwhile…**_

-

-

"What the hell?" Fllay dropped her grocery bag, shocked at the sight that she saw. There was a group of men gathered outside Kira's house. The street in front of it was strewn with candy wraps, fag butts, empty tin cans and plastic bags.

They irked her so much…

* * *

"Hey, the men suddenly went so quiet, dude." Yzak gestured at Athrun.

"Yeah…" Athrun agreed. "Well, let's take a look then."

The two of them went outside, only to found their men were busy cleaning up the road.

"What the fuck are you all doing?!" The usually composed Athrun suddenly lost his cool; he stormed out of the house when looking at the sight. Someone was able to turn his rough guys into docile men and he wanted to know who it was.

"Those guys, they are yours?" A certain fiery-haired gal shouted.

"You!" Athrun glared at her. "I know you! You are the maid at Papa's friend's house!"

"Sorry to say but I'm not working at that place anymore." Fllay gave him a smirk. What she did irritated the azure-haired man further.

"How insolent!" Athrun grabbed her shirt, threatened to lift her from the ground and thrashed her around.

Kira, instinctively, wanted to beat the hell out of Athrun for that but someone had overtaken him to it.

"GAAAH!!" The leader of the gang fell unceremoniously to the ground. No one would dare to strike at that person like that so the others searched for the person who had guts to do such act.

To their surprise, it was Yzak.

"Athrun, I'm sorry but you're going to far…" Then, the lanky youth rushed towards Fllay's side. "Are you alright…Fllay?"

"Wait, how do you why name?" The cherry head's brow creased. After much closer inspection, suddenly it dawned on her. "No, it can't be…it's you…" She gasped.

However, the moment ended abruptly as Kira yanked the redhead away. "Don't you dare lay your filthy hands on her!" The brunette hissed furiously.

Then, he whisked Fllay away from the trouble. "Stay inside, OK?" He reminded her.

As soon as he returned to the eye of storm, Yzak quickly pounced on him. "You bastard! You're not worthy enough for a girl like Fllay!"

"What the fuck are you saying?!" Kira struggled and struggled and finally broke free after he bit Yzak's arm. "Don't act as if you are her guardian!"

"Shut up…" The silver head gritted his teeth. His right arm was throbbing, with pain and anger.

"Yzak!" Athrun growled. "Let's move!"

"But!" Yzak angrily protested but he was silenced by Athrun's piercing glare. Nevertheless, he was able to land a punch on Kira's face as a consolation.

"I will kill you, Kira…"

"Fuck off!" The brunette launched his own spit missile towards Yzak and it went straight to its intended target.

* * *

"Oh my, Kira…" Fllay rushed towards her boyfriend, tried to help him. But, her gentle hands were being rudely brushed aside by the irritated sandy-haired youth.

Foomp! He landed on the sofa with a frown. His eyes trailed towards the equally pouting Fllay, not too thrilled about the earlier drama unfolding in front of the house.

"Why are you giving me that stare? What were all that about?" She crossed her arms.

"None of your business, Fllay."

"Not again, Kira…" Fllay rolled her eyes. "It's not Victorian Age, damn it! I can't stay silent about something big like this!"

"Those asses got nothing to do with you, girl." Kira got up and faced her. "Better shut up, I don't want you get involved."

"Kira!" Fllay immediately grasped his arms. "I'm your lover! Don't just leave me in the dark!"

Her ceaseless prodding got on Kira's nerves. Rather than answering her questions, Kira chose to shift to other topic.

"Yzak…how on hell you knew him?" He squinted his eyes.

"Since you refused to divulge about what happened earlier, I have to right to remain silent on this matter, too." Fllay abruptly let go of him and went towards their room, in quick strides.

But, before Fllay could slam the door shut, Kira restrained her hands. Kicking and screaming, she struggled to escape from her own boyfriend.

"You tyrant!" Her grey eyes burned, as she cursed angrily. "Let me go!"

"Answer me, Fllay and I won't hurt you…" Kira sternly warned her.

"Look at yourself, Kira…" The young woman panted, tired of her own struggling. "You have no right to question me like that. You, too, hide something from me…"

Hearing that, Kira promptly released Fllay. However, Fllay took this opportunity to give him a hard slap.

"Yzak was my good friend…" Her eyes were brimmed with tears. "It's been a while since I saw him…and I can't believe it…now, he is with the bad guys…"

Unable to contain her sadness, she hugged Kira as tight as she could and sobbed incessantly. The guy, hesitated at first, but reciprocated later.

"I'm afraid of losing you, Kira…" Her voice was choked with tears. "What just happened frightens me…"

"They were making trouble at the place where I work. Because I stood up against them, now they are trying to mess with me…don't worry, they won't bother me again. They just want to intimidate me, that's all."

Kira chose not to be too honest. Sometimes, a little cover-up would be beneficial.

_She must not know…that I'm __risking my life…_

"Promise me, love…" Fllay gazed at him. "Stay out of trouble from now on…"

Kira just smiled and nodded. He slowly brought his lips to hers…

KNOCK, KNOCK!

Not happy with the sudden interruption, the couple let out a sigh of frustration. Then, together, they carved a smile on their lips…thank god their fight did not have to degenerate into an all-out war.

"Tidy up yourself, Fllay. I'll get the door." Kira stroked her hair and gave her a quick kiss to her left cheek.

"Okay. Hurry up, don't let that person waiting." She wiped her face with a towel and proceeded to mend her tussled hair.

Kira hurriedly went to the door and opened it. To his surprise, the person waiting outside was Stellar.

She still wore her junior high school uniform and Kira, who was accustomed to Stellar's usually cheerful attitude, was slightly surprised with her serious face.

"Hi, Stellar. What's up?" He asked jovially, trying to break the tense atmosphere.

"Stellar needs to talk with Kira…" The blonde girl answered him softly. Then, her lips flickered into a tiny smile.

"Well, no problem. Come in, then." Kira ushered her in and closed the door.

Stellar sat down and her eyes scanned the whole room. "It feels…different…" She commented, with her eyes roving here and there.

"My girlfriend moved in last week." Kira grinned. This invited a blush on Stellar's face.

"Oh…" She nodded slowly, in understanding. Then, pushing trivial matters aside, Stellar chose to talk about her main business of coming to his house.

"Kira…"

"Yes?"

"I believe I saw…" However, the teenage blonde girl could not finish her sentence.

"Stellar?" Kira felt strange about what he heard: Stellar was not referring to herself in third person. Then, he realised something had attracted Stellar's attention; her eyes were not concentrating on him.

He followed where her gaze went and found out that Stellar was making an eye contact with Fllay. Then, to his surprise, Fllay's eyes moistened when she saw the teen. The same went to Stellar, too.

"What happened to you two?" Kira inquired, looking puzzled and at the same time, amused. He had a good reason to feel funny - two person who never met before suddenly went all-teary eyes and emotional when seeing each other.

"S-sister?" Stellar blurted out; her little body quivered.

* * *

A/N: Another update from me and hell, it sure took a long time for me to finish this thing! Dealing with real-life matters was tiring...(sigh) Back to main thing, I noticed that a lot of people is reading my work but still until now, I only receive reviews from a few loyal readers. How about the others? It's not like I craved for reviews to inflate my ego but honestly, I feel like I'm still a newbie in this field. I don't want a review like "Your fic is good!" but I really appreciate if you share with me your views about my fic. Share with me on how I can improve myself or what do you think about this current installment. So, what are you waiting for? Read & review, people! (smiles) I'm not angry too if you choose to flame me as long it is about the fic! (laughs)

P.S: I think I'm gonna finish this by chapter 25 or 26 or maybe the 27th? The drafts are ready, just need some polish here and there. So, stay with me and keep your fingers crossed for the next update!

* * *


	23. The Room

A/N: This chapter will be a departure from what I've done in the past chapters. There will be some scene of hard child abuse and mild nudity. If you are averse to that kind of thing, please turn back now.

* * *

Chapter 23: The Room

-

-

_**Almost half a decade ago – Stellar's POV…**_

-

-

My sister has a room that she can call her own. Why not me?

I don't understand why Papa gave Big Sis her own room and I have to sleep with Papa.

I'm already big enough! I don't need Papa to sleep with me…all I want is my own room, like Big Sis.

Papa said because Big Sis was old enough to have her own room…so I'm still small then?

I envy Big Sis…I want to be like her…having her own room, have so many friends, not going to school…

But, I don't understand why she doesn't have to go to school. Papa said because Big Sis is already a big person…so, she needs to go to work.

Work? I never saw her going out for work. Big Sis only stays in her room and only sometimes she will come out to play with me or do the housework…then, she will enter her room again.

Almost everyday, Big Sis' friends will come inside her room to play with her and she has a lot, too. How I envy her again because her friends always give presents for her. When Sister plays with me, she always showed me her presents and always bragged about them. All I can do was pouting when I listened to her.

Once, I asked Papa I wanted to have so many friends like Big Sis but Papa answered with smile:

"Stellar, you don't have to. Big Sis is special…"

I felt not satisfied so I continued to pester my father. But, my little mouth was too much for him that day.

"Listen here, Stellar!" He grabbed my arms roughly. I cried out in pain but he ignored that. "Because you're my only daughter! You don't have to be like your sister!" Then, he released me, in a rough manner, too.

I still don't understand…Papa said I'm her only daughter. Isn't Big Sis his daughter, too? So, because both of us his daughter, he must treat me like Big Sis.

I want to be like her…is that so much to ask?

Not only she got a lot of friends visiting her, Fllay onee-chan is also a dancing girl at Uncle Marco's restaurant. She got all the fun…not fair. I want to have fun like Big Sis but Papa always being angry with me when I said I wanted to be like her.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Stellar?!"

Why? I don't understand! All I want is to have my own room like her, to have a lot of friends like her, to receive a lot of presents like her and to be a dancing girl like her…She's hogging all the fun, it's unfair!

But…if Sis was having fun all these times…why she looked so sad?

One day, Sis brought me out for a walk. After buying a candy for me, she brought me to a park. We played and played, it was fun. After a while, both of us got tired and we sat down on the bench to have some rest.

I giggled when looking at her. "Thanks, Sis! Stellar is having so much fun today!"

She nodded while smiling at me. Suddenly, she hugged me tight…

"Sis?"

No words came out from her mouth, just sobs.

"Sis, what's wrong?" I asked her again.

She just cried and cried…I cried, too…I felt sad when seeing my sister like that. I didn't know why she was so sad…

After a while, she stopped crying. Placing her hands on my shoulders, with eyes still wet, she said:

"Listen, Stellar. You must study hard. Don't be like me. If you want to have fun, don't go and have fun like the way I do. Remember, if you want to play, just ask me. We'll play together, OK?"

I don't understand what she was talking about but I nodded at her. "Stellar will remember what you said, Fllay onee-chan…"

"Good…" She gave me her warmest smile, patted my head gently and wiped off her tears. Suddenly, she stood up.

"The last one to arrive at home will have to cook!" Then, my sister started to run and laughed.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

* * *

"Damn those police! They took all my dancing girls!"

"Relax Marco; at least my girl didn't get caught."

"You said relax, Rau? How can I be cool if all of my girls were taken away from me?! It's not easy to find new ones again, you know!"

"It's not my problem."

"Ceh, such a friend in need you are, Mr. Creuset. I'm leaving now."

"Come again if you have any problem, Mr. Morassim."

"I will. Heh…"

I didn't understand what Papa and Uncle Marco were talking about. I just stood in front of the front door and listened to them.

Then, the door opened. Uncle Marco stood in front of me like a huge giant. Abruptly, he stretched out his hand and tried to reach to me. I cringed when he stroked my hair gently. Smiling, he said this to Papa:

"How about if I take this one, Rau? At least, your Fllay will have a companion-"

Uncle Marco didn't have the opportunity to finish what he said. Papa straight away lunged at him and gives Uncle Marco a punch to his face. I shrieked with terror looking at that scene.

"She's my daughter, damn it!" Papa grunted in anger. "Hell, you can do anything you like to Fllay because she's the daughter of that bitch! But don't lay a finger on my daughter!"

Uncle Marco just grinned. "Okay, okay…" He staggered as he stood up and then, patted Papa's shoulder. "Cool man. I'll give you my guarantee that I won't touch that girl over there." He smiled at me again.

"Now get lost." Papa ordered him with a stern voice.

* * *

Lately, there is a boy who always comes to Big Sis' room. He is different from her other friends; they are much older than Sis. That boy is also quite different from the way he looks – he has a white hair…

Strange, I thought only old men got white hair…

Every time when after he comes out from Sister's room, he will gives money to Papa and immediately left afterwards. Sometimes, when Papa was not around, that white-haired boy would give me money and asked me to hand it to Papa.

I didn't understand…but I followed what he said.

Then, in one evening, he entered the house and asked me whether Papa was around or not. I answered him with the latter. He smiled.

But, I expected him to give me money. He didn't.

Sister was also happy to see him, very much different from when she was with her other friends. She immediately grabbed his hand and led him to her room. I was left alone with the TV.

"I'm home…"

Papa's tired voice startled me. "Welcome back, Papa." I answered him with a big smile and then looked at the TV again.

He noticed that Sister was not around. "Where's Fllay?"

"Inside her room with her friend."

Papa went off and headed to the kitchen. Moments later, without warning, he ran to Sister's room and opened it forcefully. The loud sound surprised me. I didn't understand why Papa would do that so I followed him into that room.

"KYAAA!!" Fllay onee-chan screamed when seeing both of us. She immediately covered herself with her bed sheet.

I was surprised as she was, too. She and her friend were naked on the bed, with the boy on top of her. I didn't know what they were doing…all sweaty like that…

"Fuck off from here, you brat!" Papa yanked the boy harshly from Sister. Then, he gave him a hard slap. "Don't think you can come here without paying me! This cow is not for free, bastard! And yet, you got guts to show your face here!"

The white-haired youth just sat there, shivering in fear. Then, he mustered all his strength…to run away from the house.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU ROBBED ME OF MY VIRGINITY AND SOLD MY BODY TO THOSE FILTHY MEN AND NOW, YOU'RE DENYING ME THE RIGHT TO LOVE SOMEONE!"

I didn't understand what were they talking about but I never heard or seen Big Sis so angry before. She looked so scary...

Another hard slap came after she finished her sentences. Papa slapped Sister so hard that her head slammed to the wall. I could not stand to watch this scene anymore…I burst out in tears and wailed, and wailed, and wailed…

Papa trembled with rage. "You don't deserve to receive someone's love!"

Afterwards, he sneered at Sister, who started to cry. "After all, you're **her **daughter. I hate you as I hate her…that bitch left me and you must suffer for what she had done to me! Me, Rau Le Creuset!" Then, Papa turned to face me.

"Stellar, go to bed now!"

Fearing that he would hit me like he did to Sis, I ran away as fast as I could. I sought refuge inside the warmth of my thick blanket, hoping that I would not able to hear anything. But, Sister's screams and wails still could be heard. I didn't know what Papa was doing to her.

I didn't want to know, I didn't want to know…

A few days later, the house was eerily quiet.

Fllay onee-chan had run away, leaving both me and Papa.

After she was gone, my desire to be like her disappeared…

I don't want my own room. I don't want to have a lot of friends. I just wanted Fllay onee-chan to be back…

* * *

A/N: I hope what I've written could explain a bit on the sisters' past and yeah, it was not enough. (smiles)


	24. Begin to Turn, The Wheel of Destiny!

Chapter 24: Begin to Turn, The Wheel of Destiny!

-

-

"Sister? You two are sisters? What happened here?" Kira frowned, obviously confused.

Fllay frowned as she looked at the questioning man. "Yes, we are-"

**SLAP!**

That cherry head did not see that coming. She rubbed her pained cheek and cast a disbelieving stare towards her "sister".

"After all these years…only now you show yourself to me…" Stellar shook with anger, her little figure quivered.

"Stellar…" Fllay moved closer towards Stellar and tried to embrace her. Her emotion now was somewhat mixed. She was not sure whether she could be happy regarding this unexpected development.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" The yellow-haired teen pushed her away quite roughly. Our redhead nearly fell to the floor but her boyfriend managed to catch her.

"How dare you raise your voice like that to your own sister!" Kira shouted at Stellar. He was never being angry towards that teenager before but what she did pissed him off.

Yet, Stellar just gave her back towards the couple. "You left me and Papa after you did _that_…" The blonde sneered. "You thought I'm stupid, Sis? I knew you left us because you hate Papa for punishing you when he discovered that you're fucking with your BF…You're such an ungrateful child, Papa told me. You've betrayed his trust!"

"Fllay…" Kira threw a piercing glare at his girl when he heard that. "Is Stellar telling the truth?

"I'll deal with you later, Kira." Fllay answered him in a firm voice. Then, she shifted her attention towards the younger girl. "Seriously, Stellar…we need to talk."

But, Stellar refused to face her. Feeling that her patience had been stretched to the limit, Fllay roughly grabbed Stellar's arm, ignoring her protests, and dragged her into Kira's room.

Kira could only watch and slumped to the sofa as he waited for the storm to die out. He would have his own storm after this; he was sure of that.

* * *

"Lemme go, **bitch**!" Stellar struggled and shrieked.

Fllay bit her lower lips. She did not want to treat her own sister like this, even though Stellar was just her half-sister. Yet, a sister is still a sister. Then, she abruptly let Stellar loose. The younger girl glared at her with great distaste and then sat on the bed with a frown. Her eyes refused to see the face that she was sick with.

Moments of silence passed by between the two siblings…Then, Fllay decided that nothing would be gained if that silence continued.

"Now, spit everything out, Stellar." She folded her arms and tried her best to defuse her anger. Nonetheless, as calm as her tone was, what Fllay said gave away her concealed antagonism. "What did that **bastard **told you when I ran away from that home?"

"_Bastard?_" Stellar's eyes turned into mere slits. "Papa is no bastard, you _whore_. Look at yourself, Fllay onee-chan. You sold your body to that silver-haired boy! A slut who ran away from home and betrayed Papa's trust has no right to be my sister…and you're just like our mother. Both of you betrayed Papa and left him!"

That did it. Finally, Fllay let loose of her fury. Stung by Stellar's comment, she hit her own sister repeatedly.

Yet, her tears flowed non-stop. Bad memories returned to her head like a plague when seeing her little sister screaming in pain.

_I'm just like that __**monster**__, abusing an innocent child…_

The sight tormented her. Fllay could not bear to hit Stellar anymore and she moved away from that little figure, who slumped on Kira's bed and breathing ruggedly. Pangs of regret engulfed the crimson-haired woman. Fllay collapsed to the floor on her fours and she wailed and wailed.

"You hit me because my words were correct, right Sis?" The golden-haired teenage girl wiped off the blood from her mouth. Then, she winced as her hand accidentally touched her bruised cheek.

"NO!" Fllay shouted at the top of her lungs. "You're wrong, Stellar! How could you believe the words of a monster! He **raped **me and then forced me to **sell** my body! You still believe that bastard?! I became a prostitute in my own house and in my own room!"

Fllay's sobs became even louder. "I'm dirty, Stellar! I'm DIRTY! It's that bastard's fault!! All his fault!!"

"You're lying…" Stellar's eyes became widened from the shock. Her face turned ghostly pale. "I thought…I thought…those people who came to your room almost every day were your friends…"

Then, the blonde lowered her head. Guilt consumed her heart. She was naïve…too naïve because she consumed all her father's lies without any doubt or questions.

"Papa…Papa told me he really loved you but he said you have betrayed his trust. He always reminded me not to become like you…"

"What trust?!" Fllay shouted again. She grabbed Stellar's shoulders and violently shook them. "That Rau Le Creuset is NOT my father! I WON'T recognise that monster as my father! I even discarded his family name and took my dead Papa's name, Allster!"

Her grip on Stellar's shoulder tightened as she continued her rants. "I really wished that Mama didn't remarry after my real Papa died…so I wouldn't have to suffer like this!"

"And you are not my REAL sister, got it?!" With that, Fllay bawled again.

The revelation was too shocking for Stellar. She just looked at Fllay with an empty stare…like a shell-shocked war veteran.

"But…but, I'm happy of having you as my little sister, Stellar-chan…" The cherry head sobbed as she buried her head on her younger sibling's lap. Shortly after that, she slowly raised her head and met her sister's saddened face. Fllay stared at it for a while with tears still flowing fast and then lovingly caressed Stellar's right cheek.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, Sis…" Stellar could not contain her grief, too. "Honestly, I was jealous with you when Papa gave you your own room…I never thought…in truth, t-that room was like hell to you."

"You're in no fault, Stellar…" Fllay gave her a warm smile. "Thank god, he didn't make you just like me…"

With that, Stellar immediately hugged Fllay. "But, he poisoned my mind! He made me believe that you're bad!"

"And yet, the truth will reveal itself in the end…" Under Stellar's embrace, Fllay smiled again and closed her eyes.

-

-

_**A few moments later…**_

-

-

"My god, girl, have you ever heard of the word 'restraint'?" Kira shook his head as he watched Fllay tending Stellar's bruises.

"Shut yer hole, Kira." Fllay glared icily at him but at the same time, blushed. She felt quite guilty, too.

"Yes, ma'am." The chocolate head answered with some goofy acts. At this time, he thought, he must act as court jester. The mood in his house became too sober since the two of them emerged from his room.

Happily, his good intention worked its magic. The two sisters let out smiles, albeit a thin-lipped one.

"You're lucky, Onee-chan…" Stellar commented out of blue. "You got Kira as your man."

That made Fllay redder than ever, complete with puffs of steam coming out of her ears. "S-Stellar!"

The younger girl giggled when seeing her sister's reaction. "He is a really good man, Fllay onee-chan! He always helps Stellar whenever Stellar is in trouble!"

"Geesh, Stellar…" Now, it was Kira's turn to feel funny. "Do you have to mention that to your sister?"

Stellar tried to pout but quickly learnt that pouting made her cheeks felt very painful. Instead, she creased her brow when looking at the man whom her sister fell head over heels for.

"Now, now, that's enough. Why don't you stay still, Stellar? I need to apply some ointment to your cheeks."

* * *

"Oh, Stellar is going to spend a night here! Where is she?" Cagalli, who just returning from her night shift, exclaimed happily.

"She's sleeping in Kira's room…" Fllay answered her with a grin. "She was too tired."

"Hmmm…" Cagalli's shoulder slouched when she heard that. "I was going to chat with her…"

The blonde lazily walked towards her own room, complete with a fake crying sound, and leaving Kira and Fllay, who were sweatdropping, to themselves.

"Fllay, regarding today's incident…" Kira started off with slight hesitation but Fllay met his face with a thin smile.

"Tomorrow, I'll talk to you…I'm sleepy. Make yourself comfortable on the couch, dear."

"_Damn._" Kira cursed silently.

-

-

_**The next day…**_

-

-

"Are you sure you don't want to stay longer, Stellar?" Fllay asked with a frown pasted on her face.

"Stellar wants to stay with you longer, Onee-chan. But, I've to go back. I'm sure Aunty is worried sick." Stellar tilted her head to left, smiling.

"Don't tell Aunty about me yet, Stellar." The redhead whispered. "It's still a secret, for now."

"Em!" Her little sister nodded enthusiastically.

After a hug and a kiss to Stellar's forehead, Fllay let her sister go with moist eyes.

"She will be back, Fllay…" Kira emerged from Fllay's back and wrapped his arms around her petite waist.

Her hand slowly flew towards Kira's cheek and stroked it while the other wiped her wet eyes. Then, she turned around and gave the brunette a quick kiss.

"Let's go to the amusement park, Kira!" Suddenly, she turned bubbly.

"Haa?"

"Don't ask questions, Kira my boy. Just follow me." She pulled his hand and led him to the house.

* * *

"Is riding the ferris wheel fun?" The chocolate head stared at his girl. Boredom was evident on his face.

"Why, this is the place where I can speak with you privately!" A warm smile sprouted on Fllay's face. "Actually, what we ride now is called _observation _wheel because it is bigger than the ferris wheel and-"

"That's enough. I came here with you not to hear your nonsensical general knowledge lecture."

"Hmmph!" As an act of protest, Fllay pouted and removed her eyes from her boyfriend.

"As if we don't have other place…" Kira spoke with a hint of dismay. Then, he let out a lazy sigh as he stared at the scenery at his right. The girl with the fiery hair became flustered by his reaction. A good day should not be ruined like this.

"Oww, come on. Don't be a spoilsport." The cherry head lass cooed. "Let me sit beside you, then…"

"STOP!" Kira suddenly yelled at her. His right hand gripped tight the rail beside him. "Don't move around, Fllay! Just sit, damn it!"

Stunned, Fllay stopped dead at her tracks. A split second later, it dawned upon her.

"Fufufufu…" Looking at the ghostly pale Kira, she let out a wicked chuckle. Honestly, she felt like a certain _doll_ that she watched on TV. Evil thoughts started to swarm around her head…just like the villainess in that anime show.

Or maybe she should start to cosplay as one.

"B-be a good girl, F-Fllay…" Kira stammered. "Now, s-sit."

Fllay raised a foot.

"NO, SIT!"

The woman paid no attention to his order. Instead, she began to walk to and fro in the cage and that…made it swayed rather wildly. Her actions scared Kira shitless and made him curled up to protect himself.

"STOP, STOP, STOP!!" The brunette shouted repeatedly, hoping that his girl would end this madness.

And she did.

"Is it over?" Kira peeked from his protective shell, made up from his two arms. What he saw was his lover's smiling face.

"You're scared of heights, are you?"

Kira nodded vigorously. He nodded so hard that it looked like he was going to lose his head. Fllay giggled at this sight but she took his hands to calm him. She teased him too much, she thought.

"Poor Kira-"

Without warning, the ferris wheel stopped moving. Kira let out a whimper of fear and returned to his "ball mode".

"Attention to all patrons. There are some technical problems with the ride, so please wait patiently and calmly. Our staffs will repair this minor problem immediately. Thank you for your attention and please enjoy the scenery."

Seconds later, after the voice of a woman stopped speaking from the intercom, Fllay let out a naughty smirk. "Chance…"

"What chance?" Kira frowned.

"Just be quiet, love…" Fllay stood up and sat on Kira's lap. Then, she caressed his face and brought it nearer to hers. Rather greedily, she lip-locked with him.

The kiss lasted for a few moments. "Why so stiff?" Fllay pouted, stared at Kira for a split second and then, give him another lustful deep kiss.

"You are crazy…" Kira replied in a weak voice. "You already knew that I hate heights and yet, you want to fuck me here…"

"Hoh…" Fllay remarked wryly. "You said you're scared." Slowly, her hand reached for his member and played with it. "But your little brother likes this kind of situation, you know."

Blushing rather heavily, Kira put an arm over his eyes and said, "Do whatever you want, Fllay…"

The redhead giggled again. Kira looked cute when he was scared, she said to herself. But, she did not want to tease him again. To help him with his phobia, she took off her tight-fitting white shirt and put it over his head.

Now, Kira looked like a man who was going to be guillotined and that sight made Fllay giggled some more.

Of course, in Kira's vision, he could not see anything. The absence of the visual sense only served to heighten his other senses.

"Ohhh!!" He moaned as Fllay's tongue played with his already-erect penis. Naughty wet sounds invaded his ears as his girl gave him an enthusiastic blowjob.

"Kuh! I don't understand why you are so horny in this kind of situation…" Kira intoned with a ragged breath.

Reluctantly, Fllay released his member to answer him. "Well…I liked the moment when you were scared. You looked kinda cute."

If the shirt was not there, Fllay could have seen Kira blushing again. She smiled and continued to suck Kira's little buddy with her sensual lips while playing with her own pussy.

"If you continue it like that, I will…**cum!**"

Sighing with satisfaction, Fllay savoured Kira's semen until the last drop. Then, she licked his penis until it was all clean. As a final touch, she kissed the throbbing pinkish-red rod.

Within a blink of an eye, Fllay sat upon Kira's lap again and brought her wet fingers to his nose.

"What are you going to do with _this_, then? It's not fair if you hogging all the fun alone…" She cooed and moved her fingers around. The smell of her bodily scent was quite overwhelming; it spurred Kira to catch her hand and sucked it like a baby.

"My, my…you even took away my shirt. Gone away, your phobia, I presume?" Fllay chuckled as she stroked his brown hair. Then, she kissed his forehead while watching him greedily lapping up her love juice from her fingers.

"You're chatty today, dear…" Kira looked at her with a smile. "You said you have something to say to me, right?"

"That will be reserved for later-" Suddenly, she moaned lustfully. Without her knowledge, Kira already slipped his hand under her crotch and stimulated her love buttons.

"Let's finish this thing and then I will talk, AH!" Fllay moaned again. The pleasure was too great that she bit Kira's neck like a vampire.

"Whoa, don't get too rough!" Kira let out a chuckle. Kissing Fllay's fair cheek, he continued to stroke her pussy. Wet sloshing sounds were heard under there.

"Ohhh…Kira, please…I want your dick! Quick!" Fllay panted and gave her love a hungry kiss. Breaking off, she moaned again because Kira bit her erect nipple.

"Be patient, girl…" He answered her with a lustful tone. "There…"

He took his erect-again member and slowly directed it to Fllay's moist and wanting pussy. When it arrived at her gate, Kira gently inserted his raging cock inside her. An indescribable ecstasy ensued as all inhibition ceased to exist.

"Your dick is inside me, OH!!" Fllay exclaimed with joy as Kira pumped her vigorously from below. She loved it when she was on the top; his member could penetrate her insides as deeply as it could.

"Fuh...you like it, Fllay?"

"Ahhh, emmm!!" She could only nod. The pleasure was too great. Waves and waves of it…

Because Kira had already cum, their union was long and passionate. It was truly a joy during one's misfortune. Taking the advantage of their "misfortune", they moved from one sex position to another. There was a lot of time for them to enjoy each other's body. Then, the cage started to sway wildly again but Kira paid no attention to that. Fllay's pussy was a great diversion. Inside his heart, Kira gave a silent thanks to the maintenance crew; they were surely taking their sweet time to make the ride moving again.

"I'm cumming, I'm cumming, Fllay!" Kira declared with a throaty voice.

"Wait, wait! I want to cum with you, too!" Fllay moved her hips closer to him, so that she could feel his penis better. Her vagina walls clamped on it much tighter and she made Kira letting out an animalistic howl.

"Oh, you're so damn tight, Fllay!" He increased the speed of his pumping and that in turn, made Fllay's squealing and moaning even louder.

"Kira, Kira, there, THERE! OH, I'M CUMMING! I'M CUMMING!" Her fingers digging deeper into his shoulders as a huge wave of extreme pleasure washed all over her being. Luckily for that brunette, Fllay did not like to keep her fingernails long…

The lethargic man could only grunt and breathed heavily as he slumped on top of his lover's sweaty body. Nonetheless, she still smelled sweet.

Then, he slowly withdrew from her body. As his member exited her love gate, white liquid oozed out uninhibited and made a small pool under her bum. Fllay, who looked quite groggy but immensely satisfied, sat up and stared at her pussy, giggling.

"Kira, you cummed a lot…" She commented while still staring at the small puddle of seed.

"You and your crazy ideas, Fllay…made me like this…" Kira gave her a tired smile as he rested his body.

Fllay raised her head and lovingly gazed at her beloved man. Then, she presented him another deep kiss to end their long-delayed love-making.

-

-

_**Several moments**__** later…**_

-

-

"Just look at their faces!" Kira laughed heartily as Fllay smiled and slurping her bubble tea. "Remember? They were blushing as we came out from that cage!"

"Sex during a ferris wheel ride…I thought everyone did it, though…" Kira chuckled some more before putting a Chupa-Chups inside his mouth.

Fllay did not answer to his comment but only tightened her grip on his arm and her face shone like a sun. It was a beautiful day…

Then, they arrived at a small, quiet park, where they settled down on a wooden bench. Kira looked at Fllay and Fllay looked Kira. Both were quiet.

"You promised me to tell me the whole story, girl…" Kira broke the silence. But, the young woman lowered her head a bit and stared at her half-finished drink. She stayed like that for a while.

"You knew that I was forced to be a prostitute against my will by my own stepfather." Fllay began. Her eyes settled upon Kira's calm face. "What Stellar said was half-true. I did run away after my stepfather discovered that I was with that silver-haired boy. You already knew him, right?"

"Yzak…" Kira felt his heart dropped from its place but he maintained his composure.

"But, I didn't run away solely because of that incident. My stepfather had robbed from me my virginity, my freedom because he forced me to become a prostitute inside my own house and then, he clamped down on my freedom to love someone…I could not take that…"

Fllay lowered her head again. "Sorry for not telling you this earlier, Kira. Yzak was my first love…" Then, she faced Kira again. "But you're my real love!" She declared that without any equivocation.

However, Fllay met a solemn face. "Just continue your story, Fllay…" Kira talked to her without expression.

"Are you angry?"

"No…" Kira sighed. "Just continue…"

The cherry head felt sad when her man became like this. Nonetheless, she kept on talking.

"Which one do you want to hear?" Fllay put her bubble tea beside her and then playing with her fingers.

"About Yzak."

She gulped. "I knew Yzak for only two weeks. He was one of my 'customer'…"

Kira was visibly annoyed when he heard that word. Fllay wanted to stop but she felt that she must tell him the real truth.

"Yzak was a boy at that time. A preteen like me…Even though he was another customer for me but he was different from others. He was shy, naïve…but he was willing to do it, out of curiosity. Because of his pure character, he treated me gently. Unlike those old men and my stepfather…He also realised that I was forced to do 'it'; he could see it in my face…Then, he befriended me and there I started to fall for him…At that time, I was hungry for affection…no one provided me that since Mama gone, Papa gone…I wanted to be loved and not being treated like a toy! Since that day, Yzak started to come to my house regularly but at the time when my stepfather was out. However, Yzak didn't pay to see me…that was why my father was very angry when he found out that Yzak was in the house that day…"

Fllay paused a while to drink her bubble tea. Her throat felt dry. At the same time, her heart raced with fear; fear of being rejected, fear of being left alone. She wanted to keep this dark history hidden but Fate did not permit her to do so.

"I was enraged when Father kicked and punched Yzak. I shouted at him because he was taking away the one who I loved…Then, Father hit me, saying that I'm unworthy to be loved…I knew, he treated me like that because he was very angry with Mama. I don't know why Mama didn't come back after taking that flight but deep in my heart, I felt that Father could have done something so bad towards Mama. But, why Mama left both me and Stellar like that? She should have brought us along…When Mama gone, Papa started to treat me harshly. He raped me, beat me…saying that Mama's daughter are not worthy to live. I endured all those harsh things…but, I didn't take it out on Stellar, although she was my step-sister. Then, came Yzak…he gave me light inside my dark world. When Father took away that light…my patience crumbled…But, my rebellion lasted for a few minutes…Father began to physically abuse me, to make me submit to his will. After I became weak because of his unforgiving blows, I was raped over and over again…He ignored my screams of pain, my pleas for forgiveness…"

Drop of tears began to fall from her eyes. Fllay quickly wiped them off. Her hand was much faster than Kira's, who was trying to wipe the tears for her.

"Don't pity me, Kira…I'm a dirty girl…Truthfully, I don't want to call my stepfather 'father'. He is a monster, unfit to be called as a loving figure named 'father'."

Smiling faintly, Fllay fixed her eyes upon her man.

"But, I am happy being with you. Because of you, I feel that I am worthy of being loved, worthy of being embraced, worthy of being showered with your attention…Don't worry, Yzak was only my past. You're my future, Kira and I want to be with you so much…"

As soon as she ended that sentence, Kira immediately hugged her tightly. He did not want to let go. Neither was her.

"Thanks for telling me everything, Fllay…" The brunette said to her in a soft voice.

"Sorry, Kira…" The girl sobbed. "Sorry, for hiding those things from you…"

Kira broke his embrace and just shook his head. "Well, you did tell me everything, right? I'm open…it is not your fault, not your fault…"

Fllay began to weep again but Kira quickly silenced her with a lip-lock. The two of them were united in a passionate kiss which lasted for quite a while…

-

-

_**Days, after the previous drama…**_

-

-

Fllay was busy selecting the best cabbage to buy in a grocery store that drizzling morning. She wanted to hurry but this task could not be hurried or she risked buying a bad cabbage.

"It's been a while, Fllay." Suddenly, a certain man hailed the redhead. She turned to meet the voice and she was surprised to see whom it belong to.

"Yzak?" She raised her brow.

"Doing some errands?" He smiled as he closed his small umbrella. Then, he picked up a cabbage.

"Here, take this. I'll help you."

Fllay returned his smile and thanked him for his help. "It's rare to see you in this area," she remarked.

"Well, I came here to see you." He answered while scratching his head. "I thought I want to go to your house but instead, I met you here."

"My, I should have brought you to the house. Maybe for a drink or some tidbits?"

Yzak politely declined the offer but gave her another alternative. "Why don't we stop at some café and have a drink? A chit-chat won't do any harm."

Quiet for a while, the young woman hesitated. But, she agreed to what Yzak suggested.

* * *

"You look quite busy, Fllay. A housewife?"

Fllay nearly choked when she heard Yzak said that. "N-no! I'm not married yet!" A tinge of red was on her cheeks.

When seeing her like that, the silver-haired youth burst out into laughter. "No need to react like that, Fllay!"

"Hey, don't tease me!" The cherry head pouted.

But, he ignored her protest and continued to sip his white coffee. He let out a sigh of satisfaction. Its bitterness suited his taste buds.

"Are you happy with him?" He questioned her again.

This time, without any blush to her face, Fllay answered him with a bold "Yes". Yzak breathed out another sigh of satisfaction as he watched Fllay's face shone like a radiant star in the night sky.

"I'm glad that you're happy with him…" He smiled broadly. "I believe that you two will make a great couple."

He made her blushed again. Without waiting her response, Yzak raised his coffee cup.

"A toast for the two of you."

Fllay was flabbergasted but nonetheless, followed his example. She raised her chocolate milkshake.

"Cheers!" Both of them smiled as porcelain met plastic. No "clink" sound was heard, just a faint "click".

Yzak gulped down his coffee while Fllay drank her milkshake slowly. She did not want to have a brain freeze during this moment.

"Oh my, look at the time!" Fllay suddenly realised that she was late. It was already past the time for her to prepare lunch at home.

"You should go back now, Fllay." Yzak nodded in understanding. "Don't make your beloved man angry."

The crimson-haired lass let out her tongue a bit and hit her head lightly, for being such a klutz. Then, she bowed towards Yzak, thanking him for the treat and promptly left the scene.

However, she returned to the table; apparently, forgetting something.

"Yzak…" She talked to him with a concerned tone. "Please take a decent job. Quit being involved with those bad guys."

"Thanks for worrying, Fllay, but I'm fine. I'm going to find a decent job, anyway."

"Promise me." Fllay gave out her pinky finger and pointed it towards the slender youth.

Yzak sighed but on his lips, there was a grin. "A pinky swear, eh?"

"Yup!"

The two of them made a pinky swear and soon after that, Fllay gave him a quick kiss and left him. Yzak rubbed his forehead as he watched Fllay's figure disappearing from his sight. During that moment, he could feel a wave of anger ran through his vein and it circulated around his body.

"I want to have a word or two with you, Kira Yamato…" He took Fllay's drink and finished it up for her. "If possible, TODAY!"

Without warning, a bolt of electricity struck him in his molars. Letting out a groan of pain, he exclaimed:

"Shit! This thing is TOO sweet!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Kira was in a fix of his own. He got no room to escape…

"Honour the promise that you have made with me, Kira…" The serious-looking Meyrin sat firmly on top of his body. "I want you to help me to get free from Athrun's bondage or else…"

Kira let out an audible gulp as Meyrin cocked a gun to his vulnerable head. It would be a sure kill.

"…your beloved Fllay will see you in a body bag."

Then, she chuckled. "Or maybe, I'll put her in a body bag…instead of you. Not a bad idea, hmmm…"

* * *

A/N: Fufufufu, another update from me. I think some of you already knew which anime character that I mentioned in the fic above (laughs). Fufufufu…

Hohoho, it's been a while since I included lemon in my fic. I'm sure that Kira was sexually frustated (laughs).

Now, before I digress further, I'm going to tell you all again that this story is nearing its end. However, I'm afraid that you all won't be able to read its ending by this year. Maybe, this story will be concluded in next year, in January. Well, it cannot be helped since there are loads of real-life stuffs I need to take care off (sighs). Man, those things are endless! If I'm lucky, then I can concentrate more on finishing this fic. But I enjoyed writing this story and it is quite hard to let go (sobs). I wanted to continue this story ad infinitum but that will make you all go ad nauseam (laughs). Sorry, for my Latin quirks.

I hope you enjoy my current instalment. If you have any thoughts regarding this chapter, feel free to comment. Thank you and have a nice day!

See you soon!


	25. High Tension

* * *

A/N: I would like to apologise again for the looooooooooooong wait. Can't divulge all the details, though. Anyway, Happy Chinese New Year for those who celebrated it out there. Enjoy the story, folks!

* * *

-

-

Chapter 25: High Tension

-

-

Yzak's heartbeat raced. He could have killed the guy in front of him, if he really wanted to. But, he just could not. He got his own reasons for not ripping off the man's head and kicked it around.

_What a stubborn man…_He cursed, discharging a gob of spit. It landed on the greasy concrete floor.

"Just forget about the race, Kira!"

"Shut up already!" Kira shouted back at Yzak. "What happened to you? You screwed up your own breakfast this morning?"

After blurting out his piece, Kira resumed his attention towards repairing a customer's bike and pretended as if Yzak was not there.

Yzak clenched his fists. Well, he could bully him like he always did, make him kneel and plead…just to make him bowed to his words…

"Please!" Yzak suddenly prostrated in front of Kira. "Please forget about the challenge! Think about Fllay!"

The brunette knitted his brow. "Now, how in the hell Fllay got something to do with this?"

Yzak sat up again. "Don't waste your life away, Kira." He breathed in a serious tone. "Fllay loved you so much. I don't want you to lose your life."

Hearing that, Kira put down his spanner. He stood up and stared at Yzak.

"I've my own reason to challenge your group, Yzak. No thanks for all your worries. Whether I will die or not, it's not your business." He wiped his greasy hands and headed into the workshop.

"Kira!" Yzak promptly stood up. "If you keep on acting like that, don't expect any mercy from me!"

"Fuck off, Yzak…" He faced his so-called nemesis. "Go away."

With that, Kira disappeared into Fioleur's office. That was a major humiliation for Yzak. He took Kira's spanner and threw it into the workshop. A loud clang was heard but no one was bothered to come out.

"DAMN YOU, KIRA!" Yzak shouted at the top of his lungs. "IF YOU LOVED FLLAY SO MUCH, DON'T BE LIKE THIS!"

At the same time, the unexpected happened. The usually tough guy Yzak was gone, only to be replaced with a teary-eyed one. He quickly wiped it off, fearing that someone would see him like this.

"Damn it, Kira…if you die…if you die…Fllay will…"

* * *

Kira heaved a deep breath and sat down on a little stool. His heart was in turmoil; hearing Yzak like that troubled him. But, he couldn't back off from what he had started. Suddenly, his handphone rang. Kira lazily reached out for it. It was Meyrin. Kira rolled his eyes, almost in a reflex manner.

"Yep, it's me."

"_Hello, dear…how's my sugar doing?" _

"Don't call me that, Mey." He told her sternly.

"_Why? There's no harm in calling you that. Remember…who am I to you in the past?" _The girl chuckled from the end of the line. _"Now, now, don't give me a cold treatment…remember what have you promised to me or you'll suffer the consequences…"_

Kira sighed again. "I know, I know…" He answered weakly. "I'm busy right now, so don't bother me, okay?" Then, he quickly ended the call.

BANG! Kira slammed his hand down to the table in front of him. Feeling the pain, he let out a roar of anger.

His plan was ruined. He never thought such a simple plan could be ruined in a blink of an eye. Again, it was supposed to be straightforward: he planned to make Athrun's minions to stop pestering his boss with a race. Then, by racing, he could get his revenge for his past humiliation in Yzak's hands if he won. Alas, humans could only plan…

Unexpectedly, Yzak had known Fllay and on top of that, the two of them were together in the past! Then, out of nowhere, Yzak pleaded him to drop his challenge. Worse, Meyrin knew about Kira's challenge and decided to jump into that opportunity to break herself from Athrun's bond. Why she can't do it on her own and instead relying on him, Kira shouted angrily.

"That bitch is so desperate! Even got the nerve to point that fucking gun ay me!" Kira got up and knocked down the stool where he sat on.

Poor Kira. If he followed Yzak's words, he would put his beloved's life in jeopardy: Meyrin threatened to kill Fllay if Kira refused to comply with her orders and Kira knew she wasn't joking. It was an irony; Yzak wanted to spare Fllay from losing Kira but Kira would lose Fllay if he went against Meyrin.

And that drove Kira nuts.

-

-

**_Meanwhile…_**

-

-

"His RX-Z is ready." Shinn declared with pride. "Tip-top condition. Minor modification here and there. Just kill me if he lose." A grin was plastered upon his face.

"Don't say that. It's bad luck." Dearka lightly knocked his head. Then, he snuffed his cigarette and walked towards Kira's new bike.

"Lemme hear it." He signalled for the key.

"Here you are." Shinn tossed him the key and Dearka neatly snatched it before it fell to the ground. Then, the tanned blonde brought the bike to life. Its roar was majestic, fit for a champion.

"Fucking nice…" Dearka pressed the accelerator, feeding more oil to the two-wheeled machine. He was in a pure ecstasy, just from hearing its roars and grumbles.

"With this, Kira will win…" Shinn chuckled.

"Yeah…" The other man smiled back.

-

-

_**At the same time, at Kira's home…**_

_**-**_

_**-  
**_

"Oh, it's you, Stellar…" Cagalli casually gestured to the teen, asking her to enter the house.

"Why are you not working?" The little lady enquired as she removed her shoes. She looked a bit tired.

"I'm skipping work today." Scratching her head, Cagalli answered without any hint of remorse or embarrasment.

Suddenly, Stellar stopped in her tracks. "Wait a minute. Why am I talking to you, you liar!" She gave the other blonde a cold stare.

"You still holding grudge over that?" The older woman gave her a perplexed look. "Come on, I just forgot about it, okay? It was unintentional-"

"Anyway, a promise is still a promise. And you forgot about it. Just nice." Stellar answered her cynically and then walked away.

Cagalli just rooted to where she stood. "She's too old to be upset over not going to a funfair…" While mumbling and sighing, Cagalli closed the front door and made her way inside the house.

In the meantime, Stellar was busy searching for her sis, who apparently didn't hear her calling.

"Onee-chan!" She called again and again. Then, she entered the kitchen and went towards the back door. Stellar quickly opened it. Finally, she found the person she was looking for.

"Onee-chan! Stellar was calling for you!" She fumed. However, her tone changed when she laid her eyes upon Fllay.

"You looked pale…what happened?"

"Oh, nothing…I'm fine…" Fllay tried to shake he off. "How's school?" The redhead changed the topic.

"Look, Fllay." Cagalli suddenly emerged from Stellar's behind. "Why don't you rest and leave all that veggie alone. I'll do it for you."

Stellar shared Cagalli's sentiment and looked at her sister worriedly.

"I'm okay…" The cherry head tried to assure her lover's sister.

"You're not." A straight-forward reply and it was not a lie.

"I have to...do this, Cagalli. **You** can't cook." A retort flew out from Fllay's mouth, without thinking about the consequences.

Fortunately for the redhead, the blonde was cool today. "Alright, that's enough. Fllay, follow my lips carefully: .." Then, she paused for a dramatic effect before continuing, "**NOW**".

Sighing in defeat, Fllay made an effort to get up. Her movement was slow. Cagalli offered to help but Fllay politely refused. Bit by bit, she made her way towards the living room.

"What's wrong with Onee-chan?" Stellar lightly squeezed Cagalli's hand. A look of worry was on her face.

"Don't know. I asked her to go to the clinic but she refused. Hmm...even my nagging won't work on her. But, I did give her some medicine to get rid of her fever-"

THUD!

"What's that?" Stellar's eyes bulged.

Without delay, both were running to the source of the loud sound. The sight they found was horrifying.

"Onee-chan!" The teen rushed towards her sister, who lay motionless on the floor. Cagalli quickly checked Fllay's temperature and to her shock, it was above normal.

"What the fuck is happening here?!" Hurriedly, she left the two siblings to reach for her handphone. Her first choice was Kira. To her dismay, he couldn't be reached.

**"****FUCK!" **She screamed in frustration. But, it was not a good time to get angry. Frantically, she dialled another number. She tapped her foot impatiently while waiting for an answer.

_"Yup, Mwu's here…"_

* * *

"My god…" Mwu muttered in disbelief as he laid his gaze upon the deathly pale Fllay. In one quick move, he raised her and carried her in his arms. While on the way to his truck, Mwu breathed this to the worried Cagalli:

"You're lucky…I was on the way from fetching my girlfriend from her workplace."

"I'm sorry for troubling both of you…"

"Nah, it's okay…"

Then, Cagalli noticed someone emerged from the left side of the white truck and left the door opened.

_That must be his girlfriend…_She thought. A brown-haired woman, still in her office lady suit, looked worried as she watched the drama in front of her.

However, Stellar stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that woman. The girl looked distressed as she traded eye contact with her.

"Stellar?" Cagalli called out to her. "What's wrong?"

"That's Mama…" The little teen trembled.

"Snap out of it, you brat!" Cagalli, losing her patience, violently shook the young girl. "There's no way that woman is your mother!" She hissed.

"I'm not lying!" Stellar shouted back at her while snapped her hands out from Cagalli's grasp. "It's **her**!"

"That's enough!" Mwu blasted at the two. "Missy is sick here! Cagalli, you come with me to the hospital!" Then, he turned his face towards the other woman.

"Murrue, you take care of that little girl over there…"

His girlfriend nodded firmly but managed to slip a warm smile to him.

Shock came down upon Stellar when she heard this. Before she could protest, Mwu's truck already left the compound and quickly disappeared from her field of vision.

She was confused, furious. To make the matter worse, the older woman said something that made her blood boiled…

"Don't worry…" Murrue patted her head. "**That** girl will be okay…"

-

-

_**Meanwhile...**_

-

-

"Your orders are clear: if Kira loses, you'll kill Fllay." Meyrin produced pictures of the intended targets and put it on the table. "If he wins, just kidnap that girl and bring her to me. I'll give you the signal."

"Yes, madam..." A man, quite tall, and with a cap partly hiding his face, nodded lightly. He was about to left the room when Meyrin called him again.

"You sure you can do this?"

The man smiled mischievously. Only then, he left for good.

Meyrin slowly sank into her comfy chair and released a sigh of satisfaction. Slowly, she reached for her handphone and opened the picture folder. A picture from the past popped out on the little screen.

"I'm looking forward to being with you again...Kira."


	26. Trouble

**Chapter 26**: Trouble...with Jaws' theme inside your head.

* * *

"**Fllay!**" Kira burst into the room, sweating heavily.

Her much-awaited man appeared. A small smile escaped Fllay's pale lips. She just couldn't take it anymore.

The entire wait, that is.

But, she mustered enough patience to let Kira sat beside her and even letting him bombarding her with questions. Only after he paused for a while she let the cat out of the bag.

"Umm, Kira…you see…I'm pregnant."

A blank stare met her eyes. She just grinned; she knew it'd happen. Kira would be okay after that…

"I'm sorry, Fllay…but I…" Kira gulped. "Shocked."

"I understand…who wouldn't be?" The redhead smiled.

Her calmness embarrassed Kira. He was such a fool, he should be better than that.

He should be happy.

_But..._

Cagalli stood beside the window as she stared at the street below. She squinted her eyes for a while as she shifted her gaze towards Kira.

Slowly, she approached the two.

"Mind if I borrowed Kira for a while?" She smiled at Fllay.

"Um-mmm. Don't worry about me."

Cagalli excused herself as she led Kira out of the room. Once outside, Cagalli pinched Kira's side.

"What are you doing? Should you be that clueless?"

"I'm not sure..." Kira answered with his eyes staring at the floor.

"Look, now you have to take the responsibility. People will start talking, you know."

Kira sighed. "I wanted to. But-"

"Oh, please. No buts and ifs. Fllay is your girl."

* * *

**_Kira's home, a few hours later..._**

"I'm home..." The brunette announced with a tired voice. Today was too much, even for a guy like him.

Then, he noticed the living room was lit.

"Hello?"

_Or maybe they forgot to turn off the lights..._

Scratching his head, he headed to the kitchen.

"Welcome home, Kira."

The voice that came out from nowhere really startled the brunette like hell. His eyes darted aimlessly until he found the origin of the voice.

"Why, it's you."

Fllay's sister. Sitting behind the sofa with her arms around her knee.

"Yeah..."

"You looked...bad."

"Sis was sick-"

"I know."

"Hey...Mama's back."

Kira's eyes stared at Stellar hard.

"Say again?"

"Mama's back. Our Mama...she's back. But she didn't remember at all. She couldn't recognise me."

Kira sighed. A new problem. He got a race, Fllay was pregnant, now, the two girls' mother returned with...amnesia. Four-lettered word formed in his head.

"What happened to Sis?"

A reluctant smile curled on his lips. "I'm going to be a father."

"Good for you." Deadpan voice. Stellar was equally tired.

"I hope everything ends well..."

Kira felt bitter in his tongue when he said that. And then he realised Stellar didn't refer to herself in third person.

* * *

**_Several days later..._**

The crowd was boisterous as usual. Not your usual crowd, though. They were gathering in the middle of road, in the middle of abandoned city block, with the neon lights shining on them. The night was filled with laughter and the sound of two-wheeled machines.

"Look, I hate to race with you again, Kira..." Yzak squeezed Kira's arm so hard.

"You just won't quit eh? Why don't we just get done with it? And the winner would be me, for sure."

Yzak rolled his eyes and sighed. "Is revenge so that damn important to you?"

Kira shrugged. "Who knows?"

He walked to his bike and hopped onto it. It was nice to be on something familiar. As if the bike was his own body. He stole a glance at Meyrin. She smiled back at him.

For once, Kira felt like a knight in a shining armour.

"Start your engine, boys!" The track girl shouted at the top of her lungs.

A loud roar echoed through the night, followed by the second one a few moments later. Kira revved while Yzak donned his helmet.

_Kira, please..._

Yzak shook his head. If Kira so insistent about the race, so be it. But, the race couldn't go on...

There was a rat-tat-tat sound of an automatic weapon of some sort. Someone peppered its load to the crowd. Then, chaos.

**Hell of a chaos.**

* * *

**Author's note: **3 years of hiatus. 3 years, wow... For old time readers, I'm sorry for the long hiatus. Well, the person who encouraged me to write this...well, she's gone. My motivation to write kinda went off like that. Plus, real life workloads keep on coming. Only now, I have the strength to continue writing again.

Thank you to a certain reader who encouraged me to write again. I hope I can continue writing. I found my home. My home is here. I'm home...**  
**


	27. Blood is Hotter

**Chapter 27: Blood is Hotter**

* * *

A lone man walked in silent, as he traveled along the dark alleyway. Afterwards, he arrived at his destination: a slightly ajar door, leading into a building. He entered it and worked his way to the 2nd floor.

There was loud noise outside. The biker gang, he thought. The right one. His target was there. No doubt about it. He walked towards the dust-coated glass window and opened it. There was no need for stealth. The crowd below had done a good job in being too noisy.

After that, he took out his FAR-15 from his over-sized bag. Ten rounds per magazine - he only have one mag. More than enough, he smirked.

The rifle then aimed at a certain person. Breathing in deeply, the man set the safety off and waited. It seemed that the race would start soon. The track girl was there, the racers ready. Both of her arms were up.

Loud engine noise filled the night. Perfect.

Soon after, she dropped her arms, signaling the race was on.

That was also the signal for him to fire...

Three rounds were fired...

Target? Down...

The other seven bullets?

Just randomly fire them at the crowd...

The clinking sound of empty cases filled the quiet room. Minutes later, almost instinctively, the unknown man quickly moved away from the window. Then, he quickly packed away his stuffs. Without wasting any time, he got out from the building and slinked away in the darkness...

"Thank you, Miss Meyrin…for your kindness. Your support...is appreciated..." He said with a chuckle.

* * *

_**Meanwhile...**_

It happened in a split second. The gunfire was loud enough for Kira, even with his helmet on. Without giving a chance for his brain to think, he released the motorcycle accelerator, let his bike went on for a few meters and then, headed back to the crowd.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Yzak was dumbfounded by the unexpected development. Nevertheless, he turned back, following Kira's lead.

The scene was chaotic. After Yzak got off from his bike, he had to work his way through the crowd, searching for Kira.

_That bastard is fast!_

Minutes later, he found Kira, who already kneeled to the ground, with someone in his arms.

"What the…" Yzak gasped.

Kira looked up and met his eyes. The silverhair swore he never seen Kira that pale before.

"Meyrin's dead…"

* * *

_**A day later...**_

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

A hard punch landed on Kira's left cheek, making him unceremoniously fell down to the floor. Athrun grabbed Kira by his shirt and then slammed him to the wall. There was no mercy in Athrun's eyes - he landed another punch to Kira's stomach. That was a real bad move - Kira lost his lunch like there was no tomorrow.

"Fuck! Now you dirtied my sneakers!"

With that, Kira was continuously pummeled, again and again. He could not do a thing anyway; Athrun did not give him any chance to recover.

"Athrun!" Yzak tried to stop the ruckus. "That's enough!"

Athrun slammed Kira to the wall again. "Enough you say? Meyrin's dead! I don't need that stupid race anyway!"

"Look here, that's not the issue. Even if you beat him to pulp, that girl of yours won't come back!"

The blue-haired guy, miserable he was, paced to left and right for a while before letting out a scream. "Fuck this shit! If that guy wanted something from me, why don't he just come here and talk?"

After that, he glared at Kira and kicked his legs, real hard. "Why? Why Meyrin?" Athrun let out another rant before leaving the stuffy room.

* * *

**_Days later..._**

"Hey, I heard that your race was fucked up," Shinn heaved a breath as he fixed his eyes on Kira's hands.

Kira was not in a rush to answer him. His hands were busy grilling a burger patty.

"Well, look…I think I had enough shit. I couldn't do justice for my own boss. My ex is dead."

Shinn gulped down his spit hearing that.

_Hey I thought you already have Fllay?_

"Aaa...Kira?"

The older guy kept on babbling, ignoring the question.

"At least, Athrun's gang didn't execute me straight away for that. Now I'm wondering, they messed with my boss...hell, I'm not a man if I allowed that. I challenged them and they accepted it. Then that Yzak guy changed his mind and begged me not to race him…for Fllay's sake. I don't know but the Good Lord decided to take Meyrin's life away on the night of the race! And, guess what? Athrun blamed me for her death!"

Kira paused to flip the patty.

"I don't know...am I sad? Happy? A good-for-nothing she is but hey, I loved her once."

"Fllay will kill you for that."

"Don't you blurt that out to her. We're mateys, right?"

"How on earth Athrun didn't kill you?"

"Yzak covered me."

Shinn's eyebrow furrowed when hearing that.

"I guess he cared about you that much eh?"

"Should I grill your face?"

In one fast motion, Kira put the patty on top of lower half of the bun, put in the veggies, squirted some mayo and ketchup and finally, the upper half of the bun. Shinn, on the other hand, felt hungry watching him that he forgot Kira was threatening him earlier.

"Hey!"

No response.

"Hey, Shinn!"

Still no response.

"Oi!"

A bonk to the head worked wonders.

"Oi, you're my partner, snap out of it! Put this burger inside that little plastic!" Kira nagged as he waved the patty turner around. Shinn, not too happy being rudely awakened from his little daydreaming, secretly wished he just ran away with the burger.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in Clyne's mansion...**_

"Nee-chan..." Meer rested her chin on the desk, talking with her twin.

"Hmmm?"

"I wonder how is Fllay nee-chan now…"

No answer from Lacus. Meer knew it. Nowadays, mentioning their old maid's name would put her sister into the tight-lip mode. Lacus herself told her what happened. All Meer could see in Lacus' eyes now were regret, regret, regret...

"Maybe I shouldn't bring that up-"

"No…it's okay. I kinda…miss her too."

Meer faced Lacus with a puppy-like grin.

"Should we visit her?"

Lacus hesitated. Meer waited. Lacus fidgeted for a while and finally, she reached for her cell phone.

* * *

_**The hospital, few days later…**_

"Da Costa-san, please wait here. Meer and I won't be that long." Lacus said to her driver as she exited the car.

Lady Luck was kind to her, Lacus thought. Firstly, Fllay didn't change her number, contacting her was not a problem. Secondly, Lacus expected a good dose of cursing and shouting but she got a kind voice instead.

"_I forgive you…milady."_

"Uwah, she still called me 'milady'..."_  
_

The first hurdle was cleared. Can she clear the second hurdle, Lacus wondered. The thought of seeing Fllay face-to-face after all the things she had done to her felt like a slow poison, eating her from inside.

Erasing past guilt was not an easy task, of course. Seeing Fllay's name on the door made Lacus wanted to cancel her visit.

She took in a gulp of air...

Slowly...

Meer could only smile, watching her sister battling against her own fear...

_Should I go in or not?_

Lacus's hand touched the door knob...

_ARGH! Let's get done with this!_

She turned the door knob and opened the door.

And Lacus won, completely on her own...

Meer trailed behind Lacus, still smiling...and then her gaze was fixed on a figure sitting on the bed with a yellow-haired girl by her side.

Lacus walked slowly towards Fllay. She tried to say hello but no words came out. Fllay was equally silent. While the pink-haired young lady looked stoic, the redhead had this...warm look on her face.

_Oh, you...I can't stand this anymore..._

Lacus hung her head low...

She took in another deep breath...

And then, gave her best smile...

A smile with her eyes welled with tears.

* * *

**_A few minutes later..._**

"Inside this…is Kira's child?" Lacus asked with an innocent face albeit with eyes still red.

"Of course, you silly." Meer lightly knocked her head.

"Hey, asking is not a crime! People say, if you don't ask questions…uh, you will get lost?"

"What is that?" Fllay chuckled. "Where did you learn that, milady?"

"Ehehehe~ that was my idea." Lacus smiled sheepishly. Then, she looked at Stellar.

"How rude of me. I'm Lacus and this is my twin sister, Meer."

"I'm Stellar, Fllay's younger sister."

"Ohoh~" Lacus honestly surprised.

"Never knew Fllay nee-chan has a sister" Meer was the same, too.

Fllay tried to grin. "Well that's…I don't think someone will like it if I tell you the whole story."

Meer raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Uh, I don't mind Nee-chan telling the whole story…but can we drop this topic?" Stellar interrupted both of them.

"Ahahahahaha…" Lacus let out a nervous laugh. "Uh…ah, you know Fllay nee-chan…I thought you're still angry with me~"

Meer stared at Lacus hard while Stellar looked clueless. Fllay looked Lacus, too, deep into her eyes. Then, she closed hers.

A pause felt like eternity...

And then, she smiled. "You like all the drama, huh?"

Lacus went 'ehehehehe'.

"Real life isn't like Spanish telenovela, milady. I'm much more forgiving than you think. After all, I believe you have learned your lesson. I learned from what happened back then, too."

The pink lady nodded in understanding with a tinge of relief. "Emm…" Lacus fiddled her fingers. "Can you stop calling me 'milady', Fllay nee-chan? I'm not your-"

"My milady is always my milady, Lacus-chan." Fllay extended her left hand towards Lacus. "Come, gimme a hug."

Lacus went to her arms without a second thought.

"You too, Meer ojou-sama". She signalled to the other pink lady with her warmest smile.

Meer joined Lacus in embracing Fllay. Three of them stayed that way for a while, savouring the warm moment together as if they haven't met each other for centuries.

"Both of you are still dear to me. I took care of both of you and I miss the days over there. Don't think of me as a stranger. I'm still your friend."

"Uh, nee-chan…" Stellar gave Fllay a light poke.

"What is it, Stellar?"

"Stellar wanna hug hug too~"

"You got lots of it already. Don't be greedy."

* * *

_**Exactly a month after Meyrin's death...**_

"Hey...I'm wondering…why Meyrin?" Yzak broke the ice after he finished his canned coffee.

"Don't have a slightest clue..."

Kira wondered why the hell he loafed around with his enemy. Two of them met when Kira wandered aimlessly in the town. Seeing him so listless, Yzak - suddenly turned a good Samaritan, called him and bought him a drink.

With strings attached, of course: Kira had to be his chit-chat partner.

"You think a person like her has enemies?"

Kira sighed. "Look I'm not her father, guardian or hell...her nanny. How should I know? And can you please stop being that chummy with me? We're not friends anyway."

Yzak stared at him hard.

"I'm nice with you now because of Fllay."

"I'm wondering, are you just friends with Fllay back then?"

Awkward silence ensued.

"You're strangely protective about her."

"You're imagining things…" Yzak avoided Kira's gaze.

"I'm not." The brunette suddenly grabbed Yzak's shirt. "I'd like to settle our stuffs by racing but that shit happened."

"We better don't."

Yzak didn't even raise an arm. He just sat there.

"Since you are-" The grey hair paused to think. Should he tell the truth about him and Fllay?

Kira looked at him with spiteful eyes, waiting for him to finish his words. There was a lot of hate in those eyes; Yzak sighed deeply when meeting them.

"You're a bastard, Kira. Shouldn't you be by her side right now?"

"I'm going to." Kira shoved him with quite a force. He walked away in hurry, without sparing another glance for the guy behind him.

"Hey!"

Kira stopped in his tracks.

"It's a high time for us to bury the hatchet, you know. I covered your ass from Athrun. And eff-wai-eye, I'm not expecting something in return-"

"Well, thank you then. I know that." Kira answered him with his face still facing forward.

"Being enemies won't get us nowhere, Kira." Yzak ran to catch up with the other guy. Soon afterward, he lightly tapped Kira's shoulder.

"Here." Kira turned around and he saw Yzak extended an arm for him, with his right palm open.

Kira knew that signal. He looked at Yzak in disbelief.

"I thought you are not expecting something?" It was an obvious sneer.

The silverhead sighed. He sighed a lot today. "Alright, I took that back." He moved closer to Kira and gave his open palm again. "From now on, let's be friends since you…uh…ah…"

"What?"

"…since you are Fllay's beloved…I won't be your enemy anymore. Fllay told you before, right? She's my friend. Well..that was back then."

"I don't remember at all…" Kira squinted his eyes for a moment.

Should he sign the armistice?

That guy was hell-bent on making his life miserable and now this.

Kira paused for a thought...

"Alright…" He sounded lethargic as he took Yzak's hand and squeezed it firmly. "I won't see you as my enemy…for now."

Yzak felt a bit dissatisfied with Kira's nonchalance towards his offer of reconciliation. Yet, he didn't want to pour another splash of gas to the slow-burning amber.

Suddenly, without warning, Yzak moved in for a hug.

"WTF? I told you, me and you are no enemies but don't just go feeling me up, you piece of shit!" Kira quickly moved away from him.

"Oh my, you're just too cold, boy..." Yzak said in glee. "It's just skinship, is it not?"

"SHUT IT, PERV!"

Silverhead could only laugh at the brunette's defensive behaviour. He still laughed as Kira walked away in disgust.

_No wonder we were enemies. Kira is too stubborn!_

* * *

_**Meanwhile...**_

Fllay, a confirmed pregnant woman, was enjoying her TV. All the houseworks were done by Cagalli, Kira or Stellar.

"At last! The tyranny of menial jobs is over!" She laughed loudly...

...in her heart, of course.

"I'm going out for a while. Have a good rest!" Stellar told Fllay as loudly as she could as she made her way to the front door.

"Be careful when you out there!" Fllay reminded her, briefly stopping her TV time as she watched Stellar went away.

For a moment, the redhead realized one minor change in Stellar. No more "Stellar, this...Stellar, that".

"So...it's all 'I', eh?" Seconds later, she went back to her TV. "Well, people can change and so do my little sister!" She brushed off further thoughts about it.

Not long after that, the doorbell rang. Fllay let out a loud 'hmmmm' and walked towards the front door with great reluctance.

"Sorry for the sudden visit!" The familiar twins announced as soon as the door opened.

"You two spoiled my TV hour…" Fllay pouted.

"Really?" Lacus and Meer looked genuinely dismayed. Their timing was almost simultaneous, Fllay couldn't help but to drop her annoyed look.

"Okay, okay…both of you can come in." She patted Lacus head while lightly pinching Meer's right cheek.

* * *

"Oh…now…dried fruits...dried fruits..."

Stellar hunched her back as she was searching the item she wanted. Being a grocery shopper wasn't that bad, she thought.

"Yo Stellar!"

She stood up slowly and then turned around to meet the voice.

"Oh…Mwu-san. Shopping?"

"Uhhh…yeah. I'm accompanying my Murrue buying stuffs."

Next, Stellar shifted her gaze for a moment towards his partner. "Ummm…good day…Miss Murrue…"

_Mama..._

_Stellar...Stellar wanna talk with her..._

The little blonde girl stared at the older woman with a great longing in her eyes. Murrue noticed it and smiled. Stellar smiled back, albeit with a sad one. She knew Murrue didn't understand her real feelings. _  
_

"How's your sister?" Murrue moved closer to her and clasped her hands.

"She's okay. Wanna visit?"

Mwu quickly answered for Murrue. "Kinda busy. Sorry...maybe next time. Hey, you changed, missy."

"So?" A pout formed on Stellar's mouth.

"You sound mature this way…" Mwu added with a small laugh.

Stellar nodded and gave a cheerful grin back to the other person.

"I think I should continue my shopping now. Don't want to keep Fllay nee-san waiting." She bowed a bit and left in a brisk manner.

Once the coast was clear, Stellar stopped to calm herself. She looked at her watch and bit her lower lip.

_If...if only..._

A single tear trickled from her right eye._  
_

_Stellar...I miss you so much, Mama...please...let me have one chance to talk with her...alone..._

Regret appeared in one little corner of her heart. If only she had the courage to tell Murrue she wanted to be alone with her.

_Maybe...maybe next time..._

Stellar quickly wiped away the single tear and resumed her shopping.

* * *

**_Back in Kira's house..._**

KNOCK KNOCK

"Hey, someone get the door."

"Not me." Lacus munched her rice cracker as her eyes glued on the telly.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"I'm pregnant for goodness sake! Can't really move much!"

"Sheesh…your tummy isn't that big yet. Go get the door yourself." Lacus shot back.

Meer shook her head. TV does change people, she thought.

"I'm going." Meer said with a sigh.

"Oh you're so sweet, hon." Fllay awared her a sickly sweet smile. That was the carrot. Seconds later, she dished out the stick. "Now, get moving!"

Meer, didn't want to further upset the pregnant woman, rushed towards the door.

"Ummm…who are you?" She asked the person who was knocking the door.

"Kira's employer. Fioleur." The man bowed a bit while clearing his throat.

"Wait for a while…" Meer closed the door again and shouted at the top of her lungs:

"Fllay nee-san, it's Mr. Fioleur! Should I let him in?"

"Let him in!" Fllay shouted back.

"Alright…" Meer whispered to herself as she opened the door again. "Please come in…"

"Oh thank you." Fioleur answered with a quick grin.

Meer led Fioleur to the living room, where she found both Fllay and Lacus already sat properly. The TV was switched off. Afterwards, she offered him the sofa seat.

"Is there anything I can help you, Mr. Fioleur?" Fllay promptly asked him.

"Well…there's one but I'm not in a hurry."

"Ohohoho…I have something to do, good sir. I'm afraid I don't have enough time to spare."

"Is that so?"

"So, you're Kira's boss, huh?" Lacus jumped into the conversation. Fllay glared at her.

"Ah yes." Fioleur righted his glasses. "Don't worry, he's doing fine at work."

There was a brief silence as both sides were searching for words.

"May I ask, who are you two?" Fioleur looked at Lacus and Meer.

"They are…uh…the children of my former employer-"

"If you're looking for Kira-san, he's not here…" Meer quickly interrupted Fllay.

"I'm not here for him anyway…" Fioleur righted his glasses again. Then he reached for his bag. He put his right hand into it, not bothering to look inside.

"Actually, I'm here for you...Fllay…" He looked dead serious.

Fllay couldn't get it. "What is it…" She let her question trailed.

A gun was pointed at her. Lacus' eyes widened. Meer wanted to scream but she couldn't.

"I know you girls are wondering, why I am pointing this thing at you. I need you to come with me, Fllay."

"May I ask why?" Fllay asked with a deadpan tone. Nevertheless, her hands trembled a bit.

"Tsk tsk. You don't remember me?" Fioleur took off his glasses.

The cherryhead squinted her eyes. "I don't know you...apart from you being Kira's boss…"

"Let's see…" Fioleur ruffled his raven-black hair a bit; the gun still pointed at the girls. "Now, imagine if I'm a blonde…"

Fllay looked at him hard. Then realization hit her.

"RAU LE CREUSET!"

"There, there…no need to shout. Yes, it's me…your good old father."

"You bastard! Threatening your own flesh and blood like this!"

"Why…it's like the good old days, right? And oh ya...my name IS Rau." He ended it with a chuckle.

Meer and Lacus looked at Fllay in confusion. They wanted some answers but there were none.

"Damn...I'm expecting you to be alone. Oh well, I can improvise anyway." He looked at Lacus. "You…stand in front of Fllay, facing her."

"No." Lacus flatly refused his order in defiance.

"MOVE NOW, YOU BRAT!"

Lacus seemed unfazed by Fioleur shouting but she relented in the end.

"If you followed my order earlier, I don't have to shout at you, Miss-Pinky-Hair…" Fioleur sneered. "Now, since we have two extra girls here…I will kill you, uh…"

Fllay's eyes burned with anger at such casually-spoken words.

"Lacus." The owner of that name corrected him, still with a defiant glare.

"Yeah, Lacus…I'll kill you."

Fllay gulped. She tried to summon all her strength, at least to speak in protest.

"But!"

"No can do, Fllay. I need this sacrificial lamb." Then he reached for his bag again.

"I know what you are thinking…" He pulled out another gun from the bag and pointed it at Meer. "Sit still and watch."

Meer felt all her strength drained from her body. Fear's grip was to strong to undo.

"Don't worry, Meer. This won't hurt…" Lacus smiled at her. Meer could see her sister's eyes glistened.

"No…no, don't say that…" Fllay, her voice trembled, tried to hug Lacus.

"Ahah! Don't do anything my girl!" Fioleur shouted at her. "Sit down!"

"You scum! Having fun, aren't you?"

"Well, I believe I need to strip all your happiness, my dear Fllay. This is your punishment for running away from me…"

Fioleur took aim at Lacus' back. Actually, he didn't have to aim; his target was right there.

_Human touch is warm…_

Fllay's heart sank heavier as seconds passed. With no warning, two small pops were heard behind Lacus' body.

_But...this blood is hotter…_

Lacus looked as if she was having the greatest shock of her life. She mustered all her power to meet Fllay's already-wet eyes. Yet, the young girl stayed silent. Eerily silent - not even a gasp of pain from her throat.

She wanted to smile...

_Look Nee-chan...I...it's not that...painful..._

Soon afterward, all her strength gone; Lacus slumped unceremoniously onto the redhead. Fllay, with her face dirtied with blood, found herself meeting eye to eye with her father.

* * *

A/N: Strange...at first I had this painful feeling when I killed off those two girls. Kindly share your thoughts.


	28. Let's Catch Our Breath, Shall We?

**Chapter 28: Let's Catch Our Breath, Shall We?**

* * *

"Ah, Master Kira. Lady Meer is expecting you." Waltfeld, the butler, showed the way to Meer's room.

"Thanks." Kira nodded.

Glum-looking Cagalli and Stellar were with him. Kira couldn't hide his anxiety too.

Since that day, he got sleepless night. His child…and more importantly, Fllay…

"Milady, Kira and his company are here."

"Let them in." A male voice boomed from inside.

"Good day…uh…"

Kira locked his eyes with an unfamiliar man.

"Just call me Mr. Clyne. I'm…Lacus and Meer's father."

Kira could see it was difficult for Mr. Clyne to say "Lacus". Three of them knew how hard it was to accept a loss in the family. They were in the same boat anyway.

"Excuse us…Mr. Clyne… we want to spend some private time with Miss Meer. Can we?"

"Why, of course you guys can! I shall take my leave then!"

"Thanks so much, sir…" Cagalli bowed her head a bit.

"How are you, Miss Meer?" Stellar fixed her gaze at the colorless-looking girl.

Her eyes were…blank. Like the dead. It took a while for her to respond. Then, a smile formed on Meer's mouth. "You do look like her, Stellar…"

She paused, biting her lips.

"I…should have taken the bullet for her."

"Meer-" Kira wanted to speak but Cagalli interrupted him.

"There, there…Meer. It wasn't your fault."

"But sorry…Kira…I…I…"

No matter how many times Meer said sorry, the act was done. Kira knew, no one could save both Fllay and Lacus that time.

Back then, he went back together with Stellar, only to find a scene of carnage in his living room. Sitting alone on the sofa with a thousand yard stare was Meer. Lacus, on the other hand, sprawled across the floor. The sight wasn't pretty, either. A girl lying on her own pool of blood was a fuel for nightmare.

Fllay was nowhere to be seen. Asking Meer did not help either; she didn't respond much as Stellar tried to calm her. But, there was no time for that.

"Where is Fllay?" Kira held Meer's head close to his.

Meer gave him a blank stare.

".Fllay?" He tried to say it slower.

Still no answer.

Not wanting to agitate the girl, Kira stopped for a while before asking her again. This time, he opted for something simpler.

"Fllay?"

"Her…father..."

Stellar's eyes widened…

* * *

Well, that happened back then. Kira already knew Fllay's father was none other than his own boss.

"Oh…Meer, I think we're bothering you too much. Take a good rest, will ya?" Cagalli tugged Kira's shirt. "We gotta leave…"

That blonde made sure the three of them out of the house before talking. But she her concern was with the younger girl.

"Stellar…"

"I'm sorry…it's too awful for me to believe. I just can't…can't understand. My father? My father killed an innocent girl!"

Her face was anemic, her breathing was too fast. As if she was ready to explode.

"Maybe we can think better if we leave this place…" Kira offered his hand towards Stellar.

* * *

**_A few days later…_**

"I told you so…" Yzak rubbed his sore hands as he looked down on Kira. "Now you come to me?" He growled.

That brown-haired guy was sitting on the pavement, rubbing his painful stomach.

"Boy…it's been a while since you punched me this hard." Kira gasped for another gulp of air. "Things happened, Yzak…can't turn back time anyway…"

"You got a point. Have you alerted the police?"

"Sooner than you think, heh…"

"Feels kinda weird, huh? We break the laws many times…then we asked the police for help…"

"You don't have to remind me on that."

Yzak outstretched his hand to Kira. Kira accepted and Yzak pulled him up.

"So, now we're real friends, eh?"

"Maybe, yes…" Kira smiled in defeat.

"Can I punch you again?"

"Ah…no thanks."

"Jokes aside, hey, I think we can give you some help."

"Huh?"

"Look, you have covered the official line. Yeah, the police. So…let me do my part to help."

"Okay, I'm listening."

"I'll ask my gang to help…"

Kira went silent for a while.

"So, are you okay with this?"

"This is what I am going to ask from you anyway."

Yzak rolled his eyes as he rubbed his forehead in disbelief.

* * *

**_Meanwhile…_**

Fioleur…no, his name should be Rau now, was quiet today. Busy reading his newspaper while Fllay was equally silent.

She stared at him with all the hate in her heart.

"A monster is still a monster…"

"Hmmm?" Rau craned his neck.

"I said, a monster is still a monster!" The redhead raised her voice, full with spite.

"Oh?" Rau blinked for a moment.

"Oh, you said? You killed a girl just to make me follow you? What are you trying to achieve anyway? Why don't you just kill me?"

"Kill you? What for?"

"Look, I know I ran away from you. Now you want to take revenge on me, right?"

Slowly, Rau's lips curled into a smirk. Then, he rose from his seat and walked towards the window.

He stayed there for a while, staring at the view outside. It was raining lightly.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Agitation was in Fllay's voice. She struggled against the handcuffs as she was tied to the metal bar of a bed.

"Do you want to hear a story, my dear?" Rau's gaze remained on the outside world.

Fllay didn't answer.

"You know…your mother…."

Rau deliberately trailed off like that. He wanted Fllay's attention.

"What's wrong with my mother?"

Like a kid, Rau mused.

"You're very easy, Fllay." He chuckled. "Okay, enough beating round the bush."

He returned to his seat and looked at her daughter.

"Your mother, she left us…remember?"

"Yeah, I know that."

"Do you know why?"

Fllay stared at him, ears all open.

"That mother of yours...married to another guy while she's still with me..."

"So?" The redhead squinted her eyes.

Then she realized the real gravity of the situation. She remembered the time back then when the whole family sent her mother to the airport...she had no idea where her mother went.

Marrying another guy while her mother is still her...father's...wife?

_What the hell?_

* * *

Okay, that's all for now. I'm thinking of how to make Rau/Fioleur pay for his crimes and how Kira going to save Fllay. So, I need two more chapters to finish this long story off. Long story is long *sigh*. Thanks a lot for your time and any comments are much appreciated.

*man, i'm getting a bit nostalgic here*


	29. Tired of Keeping the Secret

**Chapter 29: Tired of keeping the secret.**

* * *

"Wait...why Mom did that kind of thing?"

"So you do want to know..." Rau smirked while glancing at Fllay with the edge of his eyes.

The redhead felt this man was trying to get on her nerves. She wanted to shout at him but she refrained herself from doing so.

"Okay, I give up..."

"Cheh...you're no fun." Rau put down his newspaper. That guy stared right into his foster daugther's eyes.

"Oh wait-" He paused to think. Then, Rau got up from his seat in a haste. He moved towards Fllay and sat in front of her.

"Truth should be told like this." He chuckled. "You must feel it..."

Fllay rolled her eyes. "You always like to beat around the bush."

The raven-haired man lightly flicked her forehead for that remark. "Enough with the shenanigans, shall we?"

"Now listen. Your mother went married with another guy. That's why she left us, remember?"

"No need to jog my memory. I still remember."

Rau didn't bother to answer her. "That happened while Murrue is still married to me. We planned this whole thing, you know. And that guy is filthy rich!"

Fllay's eyes widened.

"He's actually very old. Close to death..." Rau paused, smirking. "We were short on money-"

"Are you telling me Mom sold herself to this old man for money?"

"You are close to the truth but not that close."

Then, he lowered his head, scratched his scalp for a few seconds before lifting up his head again. He frowned.

"That old man wanted to marry. A bachelor, that bastard. Your mom, being a good samaritan-"

Rau paused to laugh. Somehow, Fllay felt a bit unnerved with him grinning scornfully like that.

"...offered herself to be his wife. Well, after that geezer is dead, that woman is supposed to inherit his wealth."

"Fuck you, I don't believe that kind of shit." Fllay hissed at him. "Mom is a good woman. What you did is throwing mud at her!"

"I won't be so quick at judging people, if I were you. I'm not finished yet. We're getting into a very interesting part..."

Without warning, Rau grabbed Fllay's throat and pinned her down. The action was too fast for her; all she could do was letting out a small gasp.

"What...are you doing?" Fllay struggled for air.

"He died and...your mom was supposed to return to us with lots of cash." Rau growled as he continued to apply pressure on his grip. "She didn't."

Fllay struggled and struggled. At the same time, memories came flooding her frantic mind as she tried to make sense what Rau was saying.

_That old man died...Mom disappeared...the money...gone...I...I_

"D...ad! Stop...it!" She earnestly appealed for mercy. That feeling of helplessness became familiar once again. Even her kicks were not strong enough; her feet were tied, too.

"Please...it really hurts..."

As sudden as his attack, Rau stopped. His heavy breathing dominated the room.

"Now you get it..." His right hand caressed Fllay's crotch. She jolted, trying to run away from his touch.

"...why I used you after that. As a revenge on Murrue for forsaking me and running away with that old bastard's wealth, I...I!"

Rau couldn't finished his sentence. He was too angry to continue.

Fllay didn't want to listen, either. She knew. Her mom's betrayal of Rau fucked up her life, robbed her of her innocence...

Then, the unexpected happened. The older man shed a tear.

"I love Murrue. We had no choice...we really need the money. Of course-" He stopped as more tears flowed.

The redhead seated herself with great pain as she watched her stepfather cried his heart out.

"...of course I don't want her to be with that old bastard, but, but...why she left like that? Why she disappeared without telling me? Why she didn't come back? Why...am I...not good enough?"

When their eyes met, Rau's temperament turned for the worse.

"You!" Both his hands trembled, as if ready to strangle Fllay again. "You will bear the sins of your mother! That traitorous bitch!"

She hung her head low. Not for long, though. Fllay started to be defiant again.

"That doesn't mean you have the right to destroy my life!"

_**Several days later...**_

Murrue noticed someone was standing outside her gate.

"Ah, a mailman."

Without wasting any time, she went out from the house.

"Ah, good sir. It must be a mail for me, right?"

"Yup. Here you go."

Murrue smiled as she received the mail. After thanking the man, she went back inside.

"I wonder what it is..."

After she tore open the envelope, Murrue took out a letter with one swift move. Then, she left it on the table as she went to turn down her laptop's speaker. Her house was filled with some music earlier.

Reading needs to be nice and quiet, she thought.

She took the letter again and sat down on her comfy sofa.

"So...it's a letter for me." Her eyebrows came to life as she was reading.

"Murrue...I have your...daughter."

_**Meanwhile...**_

"She got the mail." Rau smirked as he drove home. "Now, what would you do...Murrue."

* * *

"Kira."

"Yes?"

He noticed that something was different with Stellar today.

"Why so serious?" Kira smiled, trying to thaw the ice.

"I'm tired of hiding. Tired of keeping a secret."

The brunette frowned.

"What secret?"

"It's my mom. You are Mwu's friend right?"

Kira nodded.

"Mwu has a woman with him, correct? She-" Stellar fidgeted. "...she's my mother."

"That..." Kira was too shocked to finish what he wanted to say.

"Look, both of us knew my father took Fllay nee-chan. And I'm sure you knew who my sister really was..."

He knew what Stellar meant by that. Just by looking at her eyes, Stellar's guilt became his guilt. The guilt for not meeting Fllay much earlier.

Kira knew it wasn't possible. If only...

"Yes..." He let out a long sigh. "Your sister told me once. Are you telling me that your father gonna put my Fllay into prostitution again?"

"I'm truly sorry for what my father did..." She hung her head low.

"No, it's not your fault." Kira patted the petite blonde's head.

"But, I'm sure that's not his intention. It's strange, you know. Look, my mom disappeared when we were small and reappeared again with no memories of me at all. I'm sure she don't remember Fllay nee-chan as well. Then, father did what he did. There must be something. Should we meet Mwu-san?"

"I think we must. This must be the answer."

Stellar smiled bitterly. "She must be suffering somewhere..."

Kira couldn't help but to hug her. He was worried as well.

"Somehow, I missed your old self."

Stellar gently broke off from Kira's hug.

"She's dead, my dear brother-in-law." She said with a smile.

Kira smiled as well. "I understand. Now, let's go. I need to call someone first."

He took out his handphone and started dialing.

"Yzak? I need your help."

* * *

**A/N: THe next chapter will be the last for this story. Finally, we are almost there :3**


End file.
